Safety
Vacation rental scam red flags
Vacation rental scams copy real photos, list apartments that do not exist, or push you off-platform where you lose payment protection. Book inside established platforms until check-in, verify reviews across dates, and refuse wire transfers or crypto. If the price is half market rate in peak season, assume fraud until proven otherwise.
Last updated 2026-08-05
Red flags
- Host asks to pay outside the platform — always a scam.
- No reviews, or only reviews from the same week.
- Stock photos — reverse image search the hero shot.
- Pressure to decide in an hour or lose “deal”.
- Address does not match map pin or street view.
Safer booking
- Stay on platform messaging until you have keys.
- Read recent negative reviews for bait-and-switch patterns.
- Video call or fresh exterior photo request for long stays.
- Credit card through platform — not debit wire.
At check-in
Apartment unlike photos — document with timestamp photos, contact platform support immediately, know your refund policy. See travel booking scams for fake confirmation emails and phantom hotels.
More safety guides
Common tourist scams and how to avoid them
Most tourist scams reuse a handful of patterns: unlicensed transport, “free” gifts that become payment demands, fake officials, wrong change, and distraction thefts. Recognize the setup, decline without debating, and use official ranks, apps, or prepaid bookings instead of accepting help from strangers in arrival halls.
Emergency numbers abroad
Before you land, save your destination's emergency numbers — police, ambulance, fire — and your embassy or consulate contact. EU countries use 112 in many states; elsewhere numbers differ (911 Americas, 999 UK, 155 Türkiye police, 113 Vietnam police — verify locally). Add them to your phone offline; do not rely on data in a crisis.
How to read travel advisories
Government travel advisories (US State Dept, UK FCDO, Australia Smartraveller, etc.) rank countries and regions by risk — terrorism, crime, health outbreaks, natural disasters. They are conservative by design; level 2 “exercise increased caution” is common for major tourist destinations. Read the detail pages for specific regions, not just the headline color map, and check update dates.
Lost or stolen passport abroad
If your passport is lost or stolen abroad, file a police report, contact your embassy or consulate immediately, and apply for an emergency travel document — do not wait until the airport. Carry photocopies and digital backups separately from the original, and list your policy number if travel insurance covers document replacement.
What to do if you are robbed abroad
If you are robbed abroad, get to a safe public place first — your safety beats recovering belongings. Report to local police for the case number insurers and embassies expect, freeze cards immediately via app, and replace passport through your consulate if taken. Most thefts are property-only; cooperate rather than fight.
Common travel booking scams to avoid
Book through known platforms or direct hotel and airline sites; be wary of deals far below market rate, wire-transfer-only payments, and pressure to decide in minutes. Verify vacation rentals on maps, read recent reviews across sources, and never pay outside a platform’s protected checkout unless you accept the full fraud risk.
Apply this on your trip
Planning guidance only — not legal, medical, or booking advice. Verify entry rules, insurance terms, and prices on official or partner sites before you travel.