Beware of Internet offers...
The holidays are here and an avalanche of users try to find on the internet the best last minute prices to spend a few days off. That is why at this time the cyber criminals They make their particular August, since people in a hurry in search of online bargains They are one of his favorite targets.
Each summer, the authorities report thousands of these scams related to the purchase of flights, accommodations and vacation packages , so it's a good idea to stay calm and be more careful when releasing a click.
This does not mean that all good internet prices are cheating, but if we follow a series of steps before hiring a offer we will be able to detect if there is a cat locked up or, at least, be more protected if we are deceived. Because if we fall for some fraud of this type, all is not lost: if we have been far-sighted we will be able to react in time and enjoy our well-deserved summer.
A scammer can hide behind a good offer: ALWAYS be suspicious
COMMON SCAMS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
Discounts of 50% or even 70% or vacation packages at ridiculous prices (and in the middle of high season) attract the attention of any Internet user. So the first thing to do when you think something is too good to be true is to distrust..
In Spain, according to the **Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU)**, this type of fraud tends to be concentrated in ** homes in the coastal area **, where scammers find more victims through the Internet.
Cybercriminals set up pretty believable traps , of apartments that really exist but whose photos have been stolen from other rental pages . In other words, we can find the same apartment advertised in Airbnb and Thousand Ads , only that one of them may be usurping the identity of the real tenant to ask you for money in exchange for nothing.
If it's too good: SUSPECT
For this reason, one of the most common scenes of these scams is that of the victims arriving at this supposed reserved apartment that is occupied by other tenants and, when the owner is asked, he shrugs his shoulders and reveals that he has not put any offer on that page
It's about a sophisticated deception method, since the customer feels safe having found the offer on a web page with https protocol and verifying that the apartment is real, **via Google Maps**.
But it is far from being an infallible fraud, since we can discover the trap in other ways, whether we suspect it or not. Nowadays, it is advisable to put on your detective hat and do a little research before reserving accommodation. The first thing is to check a little the offer of the area and, if we see that the price is suspiciously attractive, we will have to investigate well if everything is in order.
One of the clues that reveals that behind an ad is a scammer is that you avoid contact by phone at all costs and ask that everything be done online , including the payment of a signal. Upfront payment is the favorite modus operandi of cybercriminals : the scammer offers some benefit to the victim in exchange for transferring the money to the margin of the platform where the house is advertised. If we get out of the official channels, we have everything to lose.
Upfront payment is the favorite modus operandi of cybercriminals
The problem is that, many times, the scammer sends an email or a link that, at first glance, seems to be from the real platform or another trusted site. These messages are intended or trick the victim by asking for sensitive information, such as passwords or other email addresses.
Thus, we should not only suspect tenants who ask us for money in advance to a certain account, but also of suspicious emails , since in this way we can introduce a malware accessing the computer to obtain confidential information.
HOW TO AVOID BEING DEFENSE BEFORE A SCAM
Once we have decided on a certain accommodation or vacation contract, we must do things correctly in order to later have the appropriate defense tools against a scam.
When we contract the apartment of a private individual through the internet, we expose ourselves to risks that do not exist when we book in a hotel establishment. Thus, before establishing online contact with the owner, you should we ask for a copy of your ID, the rental contract and the simple note, where the owners, meters, loads, etc. are officially recorded.
We can also check if the house is indeed registered as a tourist rental in the autonomous community to which we travel. For example, in Barcelona you can do it through this website .
Get your magnifying glass out of Colombo
Sometimes fraud is caused by not having read the fine print , that is, the conditions of the page or the company. Thus, it may happen that a few days into the trip we see that the price of our reservation has risen.
This is one small trap that can be denounced , since the prices established by contracts may not be revised, unless explicitly stated in the conditions.
Also, It is only justifiable when the price of fuel or the rates and taxes of any service that we have contracted vary. . Of course, this price review must be done in advance and, if it occurs in the 20 days prior to the date of travel, the situation can be reported.
Your peace of mind is well worth a preliminary investigation
It is also very important to make payments by one of the secure means offered by the platform. In this way, we can leave a trace of the payment: card, Paypal or bank transfer . In the latter case, always check that the owner of the account is the same as the owner of the house that is rented.
Ultimately, it suits us have all kinds of information to support our complaint , since bank receipts to emails , either making screenshots or printing on paper. In this way, if we are deceived, we can file a documented complaint with the National Police or Civil Guard.
Because it is always better to prevent than to cure, but if someone tries to make our vacations bitter, at least we have all of the law to save our precious days off.