MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — The Better Business Bureau of Eastern Carolinas is cautioning customers about a travel scam targeting rental properties in the region, they said in a news release Wednesday.

What You Need To Know

  • The scam involves major cabin or home rental brands, like Airbnb or VRBO, according to the BBB

  • The scammer offers to book the property around the rental brand to avoid the heavy fees

  • The person the customer is messaging is a con artist as soon as it's sent via Venmo or Cashapp

  • Airbnb and VRBO may be pricey, a BBB official explained, but they also have policies in place to protect both the customer and the host in these instances

The scam involves major cabin or home rental brands, like Airbnb or VRBO.

The home is listed on Facebook, or another site, and the owner, who may actually be the owner or not, offers to book the property around the rental brand to avoid the heavy fees. The customer simply has to pay in advance.

The BBB says one of two things has been going wrong at this point. First, the person the customer is messaging is a con artist as soon as it's sent via Venmo or Cashapp. Second, the exchange could be legitimate, but in the event the customer needs to cancel, the host is tending to not respond with no contact information.

“Just because a vacation home is posted on a site you’ve used before doesn’t necessarily mean it’s trustworthy. Always read reviews and do your research before booking,” Mallory Wojciechowski, president and CEO of BBB serving Eastern Carolinas said.

Airbnb and VRBO may be pricey, Wojciechowski explained, but they also have policies in place to protect both the customer and the host in these instances.

If you find a scam while booking online travel, you can help consumers by reporting it here.