Americans Fall Victim To Florida Scam

Florida’s Attorney General Ashley Moody has issued an official warning to Americans coming to Florida to travel. Moody has warned visitors that scammers are targeting them for vacation rental scams this summer.

According to Fox, Moody warned Americans, “Florida is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the nation. Scammers will take advantage of this by creating fake vacation rental listings in hopes of stealing personal information and money. Whether you are traveling within the state or from out of state, make sure to take extra precautions when renting a vacation home to avoid being burned this summer vacation season.”

Millions of Americans travel to Florida for their amazing beaches and scammers know this. Scammers have actually gotten bad in Florida that cybersecurity experts often times call Florida the “Scam Capitol of the World” due to just how many rental scams happen on a daily basis.

FBI data shows that nearly 12,000 people have already lost an astounding $350,328,166 because of these scams since 2021.

“I’ve heard of several incidents where the family is ready for a vacation and they’ve actually flown into Miami or they’ve flown to Fort Lauderdale and then have actually approached the actual property. They’ve actually knocked on the door, and the owner has come out and said you know, I don’t know anything about this,” one expert said.

Some good tips to follow to avoid falling victim to these scams is to only rent through reputable rental websites. Ask for additional photos from the property renters. It is also smart to pay for rental properties via credit card so the charges can be easily disputed.