WITH the holiday season in full swing, the Durban North CPF has urged holidaymakers to be wary of fake listings on accommodation booking websites.

Darryl Oliver, the public relations officer for the CPF, said there have been cases where scammers create a fake listing online in order to secure a deposit.

uMhlanga is one popular destination that scammers have targeted.

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“We have had cases in the past where scammers use actual properties, use photos from legitimate sites and pretend to either be the homeowners or a B&B. They up the ante by telling the unsuspecting victims that they have several offers from other holidaymakers who are hoping to also secure the property for the festive season and urge them to make a deposit.

“On the converse side, we’ve also had photos of legitimate properties with fake addresses. In that case, once a booking is ‘made’ with a deposit, victims discover that the accommodation is non-existent. As the CPF, we are urging holidaymakers to be extremely vigilant when booking online,” he said.

Oliver offered some advice on how to avoid falling scam by using reputable letting agencies and websites.

“The best thing to do is research the location and don’t use websites that aren’t verified. If you have fallen victim to the scam, we urge residents to open a case and report it to the police. While we haven’t had any cases reported so far, we have recorded cases in the past,” he said.

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