Statewide Iowa — Iowans who spent part of their Memorial Day looking for a place to rent for their upcoming summer vacation need to be wary of scams.
Consumer protection expert Michelle Reinen advises everyone to do their homework first to make sure dream listings on sites like Vacation Rental By Owner or Air-BNB are real.
The old rule about how “If it looks too good to be true,” still applies as Reinen says scammers are making fake listings with bogus reviews to entice people. She says to think twice about booking if the posted reviews are along the following lines.
Reinen says you should be sure to make your payment through whatever program you’re using to find your rental, not a third party, and use a credit card so you’ll have recourse if there’s an issue.
If you’re looking at more traditional rentals, be sure to read your rental agreement closely before signing. Also, be sure the rental property exists by checking out the property’s address with an online mapping program.
