Booking a holiday rental? 7 checks before you send any money

Scammers are using the photos of a real Camps Bay holiday villa to take bookings for a place guests never get to stay in, the villa's management said in a statement on 24 October, reported by IOL.

At least two groups of holidaymakers, one from South Africa and one from Denmark, paid for a listing called "Mountain View Escape" that used pictures of the villa, Lion's View. Both were sent to a different address, management said (IOL). Ahead of the festive season, here is how to check a rental before your money goes.

How does the Camps Bay scam work?

According to management, people posing as wealthy buyers viewed the villa with an estate agent, then got hold of the owner's municipal account. They allegedly altered the rates bill and a company registration certificate to show their own company's name, and used those papers to pose as the owner to other agents (IOL).

The photos shared during that process then appeared on a booking site listing. Management has reported the matter to the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority and says the only way to book the villa is directly at lionsview.co.za (IOL).

The same tricks are used across the country. The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) says scammers list fake properties on trusted booking platforms, hijack real hosts' accounts to change payment details, and use photos of luxury homes that have nothing to do with what is on offer (FIC).

What should you check before paying for a holiday rental?

• Keep payment on the platform. If a host asks you to pay by EFT, WhatsApp or email outside the booking site, treat it as a red flag. The FIC lists "a different payment method as listed on the booking website" as a warning sign (FIC).
• Check the map pin against the address. Lion's View's management advises travellers to make sure the listing's pin matches the property's real address (IOL). The FIC suggests confirming the place exists on Google Street View (FIC).
• Search the photos and the name. Look for complaints and fraud reports about the property or host online before you book (FIC).
• Read the reviews properly. No reviews, or vague praise from blank profiles, is a warning sign (Standard Bank).
• Be wary of urgency and last-minute deals. SAPS has warned that scammers use pressure and a sense of urgency to rush people into paying deposits to "secure" a booking (The Citizen).
• Check the company. For a South African business, verify its registration on BizPortal, as the FIC recommends (FIC).
• Pay by credit card where you can. Card payments can be disputed through your bank, while an EFT to a scammer is usually gone for good (Standard Bank).

What if you already paid for a fake listing?

Report it to SAPS and to the booking platform, which is what Lion's View's management urged anyone caught out to do (IOL). You can phone SAPS on 10111. Call your bank's fraud line straight away too.

Are hosts and estate agents targeted too?

Yes. In the Camps Bay case, agents were offered a sole mandate to sell the villa, and the supposed owner then asked for "petrol money" for a brother said to be stranded in Mpumalanga. Management said two agents arrived at the property and at least five phoned within one hour on a single day (IOL).

The FIC also warns hosts about fake guests who send forged proof of payment, claim they overpaid and ask for a refund of the difference (FIC). Check that money has actually cleared before refunding anything.