The National Police warns of a scam when renting holiday accommodation

The National Police warns of one of the most common scams during these dates when holiday accommodation is rented. It consists of cybercriminals impersonating the travel agency and asking users to confirm their reservation by simulating a payment error and requesting confirmation of the card.

In this message, the supposed company informs them that the reservation could be cancelled due to a card verification error and, to resolve the incident, they are invited to re-verify it through a personalized link. They are also informed that the amount of the reservation will be charged to their card and returned to them within a minute. “This is a verification of your card, so make sure you have enough money to pay for your reservation, otherwise the verification cannot be completed,” the message says.

At the end it is added that said message should be ignored “only if you do not know about this reservation or you have 24 hours from the moment you receive the message to verify the card or your reservation will be canceled without returning the deposit.”

Tips to avoid scams

– The National Police advises citizens that, to avoid falling victim to these scams, when using an accommodation booking platform, all operations, including payments, must be carried out through this platform. In this way, the consumer is guaranteed that the entire process is carried out correctly and does not entail any danger. By doing so, the citizen can benefit from the platforms’ secure processes and their refund policies in case they need their money back.

– Also, ignore unexpected links: some of these direct you to websites designed in a very similar way to the original in order to trick the consumer into believing that they are contacting the real one, even though in reality it is a completely different website with no guarantee whatsoever. The best thing to do is always to use the mobile app of the booking platform, or go directly to its website.

– Beware of very cheap offers or very high deposits. If you find very attractive ads with prices below normal, you should not trust them at first sight, since many scammers seek to attract the interest of users through attractive photos in highly sought-after areas.

– Use strong passwords and use two-factor authentication. This will help you avoid unpleasant surprises, because otherwise scammers could access your online data and use it to learn personal information and even control your bank accounts.

– Check the identity of the advertiser and that the property exists. Although scammers can falsify documentation and even use photocopies of the ID of other people they have scammed, we can choose to verify that the house or apartment exists.

– And finally, if you have been the victim of a scam, you should go to a higher authority or a police station and report it immediately, providing all the details and data that may facilitate the investigation, such as receipts proving payment, screenshots or contact information of the perpetrators of the scam.

Sending documents

The National Police has warned that in recent weeks several complaints have been received at the La Rioja Police Headquarters from people who have sent their ID on property sales and rental platforms to supposedly reserve a rental apartment. Later, when they go to visit the property, they are informed by the platform that the advertisement is no longer available.

-The victims would have sent the supposed owner of the house photocopies of the ID cards of the future tenants and copies of their latest pay slips to prove their financial solvency. “A very dangerous gesture, since with these documents the scammers could request loans on online platforms in the name of these people,” warns the National Police.

To send documentation correctly, the National Police offers this series of tips:

-The photograph of the DNI must be sent in black and white. To carry out this operation it will not be necessary to download any mobile application, it can be done through any operating system. You can also pixelate the photograph of the document, you just need an editing program.

-It is advisable to pixelate or blur data that is not necessary for the management to be carried out.

-The signature that appears on the DNI must also be pixelated, thus avoiding possible falsification.

– Write the reason for sending this copy using ‘watermarks’; that is, write the purpose of this sending on top of the copy of the ID, for example: ‘sending for hotel reservation’, ‘sending for purchase of such object’, ‘sending for accommodation reservation’… it would also be convenient to add an additional text: ‘This copy is not authorized for any other use’. This will prevent the copy from being used for unauthorized procedures.

-If the DNI has been stolen, it is very important to report the loss or misplacement. At the La Rioja Police Headquarters, located at Calle Serradero 26 and at the Complaints Office (ODAC), you can file a complaint 24 hours a day, every day of the year. They must provide all the information they have for the investigation.