That vacation rental listing could be a scam. Watch for warning signs

The biggest red flag that a listing is a scam is when you are asked to leave a listing platform such as Vrbo or Airbnb in order to provide a payment, Couch-Friedman said.

A fake real estate owner will ask a consumer to send $500, for example, via an online payment platform such as Zelle. Those transfers are instant and cannot be reversed, Couch-Friedman said.

“The best payment method for any kind of vacation rental would be credit cards, because then you have [the] protection of the Fair Credit Billing Act,” Couch-Friedman said. “If you are scammed, your credit card company can get your money back.”

So, remember to book a listing you found…