Overview

• In Rheinland-Pfalz, a man lost close to €4,000 after following a WhatsApp link to a cloned TripAdvisor site and completing payment on an Italian account.
• A family from Sachsen-Anhalt was charged €2,300 for a Mallorca villa that its owner confirmed was never listed for rental.
• Scammers harvest images from real estate sites to create fake listings and steer victims to external messaging channels.
• Bookers are guided to cloned payment portals where funds are sent directly to fraudsters’ accounts, leaving no recourse for refunds.
• German police and the European Consumer Centre Germany recommend staying on official booking platforms, checking site imprints and using secure payment methods.