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Posts Tagged ‘Scams’

by bensonkua

Vacation Rental Listings – The Good, The Bad and the Outright Scams

Advertising pass rentals crossways the nation has changed to the property owner’s advantage. Five years ago, property owners depended on their local newspaper to advertise their pass rentals. Newspapers charged anywhere from .00 to 0.00 to run a three-line cram-it-in ad for 30 days as a classified listing (00 per year). The reach was limited to the amount of papers that were printed and read on any particular day. Compare that to today’s global reach and on-demand access to rental listings on the World Wide Web.

This is great news for owners wishing to advertise to the far corners of the earth. Travelers from around the world now have the capability to view listings on thousands of advertising sites with relative ease. There are risks, though: RENTER BEWARE! That pass rental you have selected in New York, Utah or Lake Tahoe might be an empty lot upon your family’s arrival at 9:30 pm after a day of traveling.

Travelers are beginning to become keen to the fact pass rentals are a favourite choice when traveling with the family, but checking to see if that perfect getaway is verified is an often overlooked step. Anyone from Hong Kong to the Idaho can post a listing for a pass rental on the internet. Simply log on to the internet, pay your 0.00 to post your listing on a favourite rental site, and field the inquiries as they arrive in your inbox. Not getting enough inquiries? Lower the price and add a few more pictures. Owners know this all too well and unfortunately so to the scammers.

98% of all the pass rental websites do not verify their listings. It is up to the consumer to adopt the risk and do their own due diligence. Scammers are good at what they do and here is why: They spend hours scouring these properties on these listing sites to learn how to create a good captivating listing, often simply slicing and pasting from other ads to create a great presentation of a non-existent property.

Just looking at some these listings, even the most experienced agents would have no clue whether or not the home, condo, chalet or cottage is legitimate until it’s too late. The renter has mailed the check or used an online means for payment and the money is transferred to a corner of the world we did not know existed. The email statement is shut and the chase crossways the border will end right there.

As the pass rental market expands by leaps and bounds, so are pass rental listing scams. Without some due diligence and research, your perfect family pass could end before it even starts.

How do you protect yourself from scammers? Obviously, be very careful before you send your hard-earned money to a listing on a pass rentals website. Be patient, plan ahead – it might take some time and some communication exchanges before you find the place you’re looking for. Find out who the listing belongs to! If it sounds too good to be true, or if you just have a feeling that something isn’t right – stop right there and ask for proof of ownership and that the home you’re viewing on your personal screen actually exists.

To learn more about renting verified pass rentals from real owners with real proof that the home exists visit http://www.reservemyhome.com for pass renal listings that are carefully verified for your next family vacation.

More Vacation Articles

Coastal pass scam artists take people’s money with promises of phony vacations. Many of these offers use words like “cheap Hawaiian vacation” to lure travelers.

Most people dream of taking a coastal vacation. They might hope for a cheap Hawaiian pass package or dream of a coastal pass resort weekend.

But many coastal pass scams disguise themselves as legitimate offers. Police report an increase in coastal pass scams in current years.

The World wide web spawned a new breed of coastal pass scam artist wanting to cheat honest consumers out of their money. Anyone who types in cheap Hawaiian pass package into a “Google” search engine will find over one million his.

The Federal Trade Commission reported 3,600 consumers scammed in 2002, amounting to $3. 5 million. How can consumers tell the difference between a coastal pass scam and an honest cheap pass package?

1. Many people operating coastal pass scams will ask for a credit card or other financial information primeval in the conversation. Many of these so-called pass companies want consumers to give their financial information online for a “cheap Hawaiian vacation. “

The desire by the company to receive financial information before the consumer feel comfortable doing so should indicate a red flag and a doable coastal pass scam.

Many cases of indistinguishability fraud started with coastal pass scams. Consumers receive their bank or credit card statements and find that in addition to their “cheap Hawaiian vacation,” charges of cash advances and buys of high-dollar merchandise.

Consumers who start prey to indistinguishability fraud should contact their local law enforcement immediately about the coastal pass scam.

2. The company operating coastal pass scams will offer the consumer very tiny details about the planned trip. The mortal on the other line, on the phone or on the Internet, will offer constant assurances the hotel in the cheap Hawaiian pass package features Oceanside views, luxuries rooms and private balconies—very broad descriptions.

The “seller” of the coastal pass scam might claim they stayed there many times but can't give specifics.

The company asks the consumer not to contact the hotel or resort directly about the pass package, another sign of a coastal pass scam.

If the consumer can't confirm the reservations with the hotel directly, the consumer should look elsewhere for a cheap Hawaiian vacation. Consumers should get the details and take charge of their coastal pass and not start prey to coastal pass scams.

3. Coastal pass scam artists use word like “free” or “vacation offer. ” Often these so-called “offers” include a daylong presentation before families can use their free tickets–a common coastal pass scam technique.

If consumers can't see the islands on their cheap Hawaiian pass and must sit through lengthy presentations, the pass might not seem so “cheap. “

4. The Superior Business Agency and other government agencies maintain lists of coastal pass scams. Smart consumers check these lists and report any contact by these coastal pass scam artists.

One of the more favourite ruses offers a cheap Hawaiian pass or a cheap family pass package.

Fear of a coastal pass scam should not keep consumers from seeking out great pass deals, like a cheap Hawaiian vacation.

Many companies offer legitimate family pass packages and an honest travel incentive program that saves families even more money on their pass costs. Coastal pass scams should not discourage travelers.

Top 12 Travel Scams And Travel Scams

Tyres and fliers

You are driving along the motorway when a driver draws alongside you, pointing to one of your tyres and gesturing to you to pull over. You stop on the hard shoulder and the other driver kindly pulls over to help. While you inspect the tyre, he lifts all your valuables from the front seat. A new version on this is when you return to your parked automobile and get in, only to see a flier stuck under the rear window wiper obscuring your view. So you jump out to remove it, thieves nip in and drive off in the automobile – more than likely taking your bag/shopping with it.

Tip: If you fear you have a flat tyre, try to continue until the next service station. If you do have to remove the flier, ensure your valuables are hidden. In both cases, always keep the automobile locked.

Metal detector

You place your laptop on the airfield security scanner while inactivity for a couple of people to pass through the metal detector. The first passes, but the second mortal triggers the alarm and laboriously takes out coins, jewellery and mobile phone from his pockets. By the time you go through, the first mortal has long gone, as has your laptop. Most prevalent in countries where you can go in and out of the departure area, such as the United States.

Tip: Never place your belongings on the conveyor belt unless the metal detector is clear.

Currency cons

Unscrupulous cashiers in banks or bureaus de change adopt suspect counting methods when handing over money to foreigners. With irregular pauses they miss out numbers in the countback in the hope that the tourist is not concentrating or does not understand. Another scam is to give someone the wrong currency when exchanging money for example, Czech koruna (50 to 1) instead of Polish zloty (six to 1) – or confuse them with one zero too few (think Turkish lira). More often than not, the tourist will change to notice.

Tip: Find out about the currency and exchange rate before leaving (www. xe. com), pay attention to those zeros and insist on counting back your money in front of the cashier.

Hire or liar

It’s the end of your Bali holiday, you are in a rush to catch your flights, so you hurriedly hand back the keys to the hire automobile representative who gives you a nod and sends you on your way. Only when you arrive back home do you find your credit card has been charged for alteration you never inflicted. This is increasingly prevalent in Europe.

Tip: Make sure you mark any alteration before you hire the automobile and ensure you get a signature for the “all clear”, a copy of the paperwork before departing.

By day:

Travelling light

Crowded streets, malls, markets and railway stations are the obvious spots. While moving through the crowds you bump into a passer-by: you apologise and move on. It is only later that you notice you are travelling light – your keys, notecase or phone has gone.

Tip: Make sure your bag is zipped up. Never leave your notecase in a back pocket. Take what you need in a money belt and leave the rest in your hotel safe.

Compensation claim

Someone will bump into you in a crowded place, drop a pair of spectacles or a precious ornament (always previously broken), feign horror and claim to the world and his wife that you have to pay up for the damage. In some African countries, this scam extends to pedestrians bumping into your automobile and then writhing around on the ground while a hostile crowd asks for compensation.

Tip: Ask to resolve the situation at a police station or hotel reception the crook is more likely to give up the ruse.

Mess take

You are admiring the sights when you feel the unmistakable splat of bird droppings on your shoulder or perhaps you have something spilt on you by a clumsy passer-by. As you stop to analyze the damage, an amiable local helps you clean off the mess, while cleaning out your wallet.

Tip: You could chain your notecase to your belt, but a money belt is the safest option.

Unfair cop

A man approaches you to ask for directions or to offer you a currency exchange or even drugs. Then two men appear, flashing badges and claiming to be police. They demand to see your passport and check your notecase for “counterfeit money”. When you hand them over the men either disappear into the crowd or one distracts you while the other relieves you of your cash. If you have been duped into changing money they might confiscate it, claiming that it is “counterfeit”.

Tip: If approached by police, insist on checking their photographic finding and accompanying them to the police station before handing anything over.

Snooze and lose

You are inactivity for a train, plane or bus, with your bags by your side, and a passer-by “accidentally” drops a wallet, money or keys from his pocket. Being honest, you grab them and run after him to return it. Your bags, meanwhile, are long gone.

Tip: If you are alone, err on the side of caution, even if this means appearing rude.

By night:

Unlicensed taxis

It is late, you have had a few drinks and it is a long achievement home there are no licensed taxis at the rank and a man is offers you a lift. The fare seems reasonable but you could pay a much heavier price. The consequences can range from easy muggings to murder.

Tip: Never, however tempting, get in an unlicensed taxi in a foreign city that you don’t know well, particularly if you are alone.

Bitter pill

While enjoying a few drinks in a Bali Hotel bar, you nip to the lavatory and return to finish your drink or perhaps you have just accepted a drink from a friendly stranger. Either way, that will be the last thing you remember: your drink has been spiked. Hours later you wake up to find your notecase has gone, or far worse.

Tip: Never leave your drink unguarded or accept a drink from a stranger unless you see it served by the barman.

Unwelcome reception

You’re settling down for an primeval night when your hotel room phone rings. It’s the receptionist apologising for the late hour but asking you to verify your credit-card details. You read them out and drift back to sleep. The caller, of course, was not the receptionist and your credit card is taking a pounding. A variation on this is someone approaching you in what appears to be hotel uniform, saying that he needs to make a photocopy of your passport for hotel records. You hand it over and he disappears.

Tip: Only give out your card number or passport in mortal at reception, never over the phone.

I hope this well make you more aware of the travel scams that exists and might place a device on your holiday moods. Do read my Bali Travel Tips too, which is a good guide and Bali insight if you’re visiting Bali.

Vacation Rental Listings – The Good, The Bad and the Outright Scams

Advertising pass rentals crossways the nation has changed to the property owner’s advantage. Five years ago, property owners depended on their local newspaper to advertise their pass rentals. Newspapers charged anywhere from $50. 00 to $100. 00 to run a three-line cram-it-in ad for 30 days as a classified listing ($1200 per year). The reach was limited to the amount of papers that were printed and read on any particular day. Compare that to today’s global reach and on-demand access to rental listings on the World Wide Web.

This is great news for owners wishing to advertise to the far corners of the earth. Travelers from around the world now have the capability to view listings on thousands of advertising sites with relative ease. There are risks, though: RENTER BEWARE! That pass rental you have selected in New York, Utah or Lake Tahoe might be an empty lot upon your family’s arrival at 9:30 pm after a day of traveling.

Travelers are beginning to become keen to the fact pass rentals are a favourite choice when traveling with the family, but checking to see if that perfect getaway is verified is an often overlooked step. Anyone from Hong Kong to the Idaho can post a listing for a pass rental on the internet. Simply log on to the internet, pay your $100. 00 to post your listing on a favourite rental site, and field the inquiries as they arrive in your inbox. Not getting enough inquiries? Lower the price and add a few more pictures. Owners know this all too well and unfortunately so to the scammers.

98% of all the pass rental websites do not verify their listings. It is up to the consumer to adopt the risk and do their own due diligence. Scammers are good at what they do and here is why: They spend hours scouring these properties on these listing sites to learn how to create a good captivating listing, often simply slicing and pasting from other ads to create a great presentation of a non-existent property.

Just looking at some these listings, even the most experienced agents would have no clue whether or not the home, condo, chalet or cottage is legitimate until it’s too late. The renter has mailed the check or used an online means for payment and the money is transferred to a corner of the world we did not know existed. The email statement is shut and the chase crossways the border will end right there.

As the pass rental market expands by leaps and bounds, so are pass rental listing scams. Without some due diligence and research, your perfect family pass could end before it even starts.

How do you protect yourself from scammers? Obviously, be very careful before you send your hard-earned money to a listing on a pass rentals website. Be patient, plan ahead – it might take some time and some communication exchanges before you find the place you’re looking for. Find out who the listing belongs to! If it sounds too good to be true, or if you just have a feeling that something isn’t right – stop right there and ask for proof of ownership and that the home you’re viewing on your personal screen actually exists.

To learn more about renting verified pass rentals from real owners with real proof that the home exists visit http://www. reservemyhome. com for pass renal listings that are carefully verified for your next family vacation.