137. How you know you're getting scammed (Airbnb thieves)

It's hard to tell at first. Something seems a little fishy but not enough to lead you to believe that someone is out to fool you. Not from the start anyway. These days there aren't many areas of life that haven't been infiltrated by someone or something trying to take advantage where they can and ultimately take things that don't belong to them. Scams happen with Airbnbs and short-term rentals as well. And there isn't just one way they're doing it. An important thing to take note of is that scammers are smart and always adapt.  Just recently, for example, a scam at the start of 2022 affected 587 individuals and tallied up to a whopping $2.7 million in lost money. $2.7M lost with just one fraudulent scheme! So we need to be careful. As scammers are getting increasingly sophisticated in their attempts to fool people around the globe and with the rise in demand for rentals, this industry is now more prone than ever to fraud.It's crucial that we watch out for any potential risks to avoid becoming vulnerable to scams, even to those already staying with us. This is an important topic, so this week, we'll talk about  Warning signs to look out for Most Common STR scams OTA ways of protecting us (and who does it the best) General tips for preventing scams   Are you enjoying the podcast? Please subscribe, leave a rating and a review, and share it! This helps us reach others that may find the info helpful as well. Get a copy of my 12 proven house rules to protect your property from almost every negative situation (highly recommended)  You can find all of our links here including our website, recommended resources, upcoming live events, short-term rental playbook, Instagram, and more!