The police warn against scammers who publish false offers of accommodation on internet portals. To avoid fraud on the so-called virtual guesthouses, you should first of all verify the offers on advertising portals with the official websites of the facilities.
– The time of trips for the long May weekend is ahead of us. Before we book a stay and pay the money, we should carefully check the facility to which we intend to go – advises the spokesman of the Zakopane police.
How to verify offers?
In order to avoid fraud on the so-called virtual guesthouses, the offers on advertising portals should be verified with the official websites of the facilities. Also, check your address details carefully. If the announcement contains very little information, it should already raise vigilance.
“Attractive hotels or guesthouses tempting with their excellent location, high standard and, at the same time, low price may turn out to be objects that do not exist at all. Let’s compare the rental price in different facilities, check whether a given address actually exists. service premises and ask about the facility we intend to go to. Let’s not be guided by the opinions of satisfied customers available on the facility’s website – in the event of fraud, they are fabricated – let’s get opinions from other places, “advice the police. When booking the facility, do not act under time pressure – haste is not conducive to being careful, and the advance payment should be paid to a bank account. It is best to ask for an invoice, bill or receipt for the advance payment and keep all documentation related to the transaction – transfer confirmations and e-mails. The police also appeal to owners of accommodation facilities who notice that photos or other data of their guesthouse, cottage or apartment have been copied and used on another website offering accommodation, to report such cases.
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Main photo source: catatonia82 / Shutterstock