The inventiveness of scam artists the world over never ceases to amaze – no sooner has one loophole been eliminated than another opens. And it’s no different in the property industry.

A scam which appears to be on the increase is relatively simple and effective and concerns the rental of holiday homes, particularly during summer.

Using the internet, advertisements are placed which offer beautiful homes, often at a rate well below the norm and the ad is then accompanied by pictures of a home which almost certainly does not belong to the advertiser. The enquirer is then told that the property is available and all that is required is a deposit.

Needless to say, once this is done, no more is heard from the advertiser who is then untraceable as he has operated under a false name and the bank account is often in the name of a non-existent property.

So, how best to avoid being taken in?

• Obtain as much information as possible – both about the property and the advertiser
• Evaluate the photos carefully as sometimes scam artists are so blatant that they claim a property is located in a particular area, but on closer inspection it is obvious that the photo was taken somewhere else. Remember, cell phone calls can be made from any location in the country and emails can be sent from anywhere.
• Never deposit money into a bank account without confirming that the property actually exists and that it is, in fact, available to rent.
• Be cautious of advertisements that supply only an email address or a cell phone number.
• If possible, ask to inspect the property and be wary of anyone who is unwilling to allow you to view the property or to meet you there in person.
• Be careful if the deposit requested is substantially lower than what the rental industry charges. Bear in mind that in most cases a 50 percent deposit would be requested by genuine service providers.

If, by some misfortune, you have been taken in, alert others including the authorities. Scam artists rely on consumer’s unwillingness to report such incidents to the authorities, and this allows them to continue exploiting unsuspecting people.