Holiday Rental Scams Intensify as Paraná Police Arrest Suspects

Overview

• Paraná’s Civil Police arrested three men in Cambé, Londrina and Ibiporã on suspicion of a rental scam that cloned keys to real properties and collected deposits of up to R$1,000 from at least 15 victims; the investigation continues.
• In a separate case, a property owner reported her photos were reused in fake listings, and the incident was registered as estelionato at the Taubaté police station, which is investigating.
• Fraudsters commonly copy real ads, create new or cloned profiles, advertise prices well below market, manufacture urgency and steer payments off platform via Pix.
• Experts advise booking only through recognized marketplaces, keeping all negotiation on-platform, requesting a live video walkthrough at the property, verifying images and owner documents, avoiding full advance payment and formalizing a contract.
• Victims are told to preserve evidence, file a boletim de ocorrência and promptly contact the receiving financial institution to seek a block or reversal, with platforms potentially sharing liability when they act as active intermediaries under consumer law.