Holiday Fraud | Holiday Scammers | Booking Fraud

Most working people relish their holidays more than anything else in the year; often the rest of the year is spent working towards Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, autumn breaks or the big summer holiday. All the more frustrating and disappointing is it when, on the crucial day, everything suddenly goes wrong. Recently, 73 prospective holidaymakers and their holiday funds were affected by such shattered holiday dreams: two scammers from Romania, who were operating from Berlin, defrauded more than €138,000 in total within just ten weeks. Using stolen photos of luxury properties and dream villas, the fraudsters persuaded their victims to book bargain holidays in enchanting locations. Hardly had payment been made than the money was transferred abroad, and the holidaymakers found themselves at false addresses without accommodation that would have cost between €400 and €3,100 (see Berliner Kurier). With the help of IT-savvy accomplices, the fraudsters succeeded in making their “holiday rentals” appear highly professional and luxurious; this explains why so many people agreed to pay the full rent in advance. Only the fraudsters’ bank put an end to their activities, filing a suspicious-money-laundering report because of the high incoming sums and their rapid onward transfers.

This type of holiday fraud is unfortunately not unique; our IHK-certified private detectives from Kurtz Investigations Berlin see various cases from time to time of disappointed holidaymakers who commission our services in order to recover their lost holiday money. Proving such fraud, however, is not easy, and recovering money already transferred is almost impossible unless a court case actually takes place. Our experienced investigators have many means at their disposal, however, to track down the fraudsters and convict them with evidence admissible in court: +49 30 5557 8641-0.

What Types of Holiday Fraud Exist? A Few Examples.

The case described above is only one of many, because people who build their wealth on harming others (i.e. fraudsters) are never short of new ideas for how to fleece honest citizens. These range from non-existent accommodation, as in the case of the two scammers mentioned above, to real apartments that are simultaneously let to as many as five families. Even large portals such as the now (rightly) much-criticised Airbnb are not immune to fraudsters; tempted by the prospect of living “like a local” in the centre of a metropolis and by the personal contact this implies, little suspicion is raised if the host becomes temporarily unreachable after the booking is made. But when the apartment bears no resemblance to the description and photos and holidaymakers find a filthy dump instead, the deposit has already vanished. Or you may stand at a door in a luxury apartment complex and be met with bewilderment by the residents because the flat is not, in fact, available to rent.

Because Kurtz Detective Agency Berlin operates internationally and has excellent contacts abroad, we can help victims of holiday fraudsters almost anywhere in the world quickly and effectively.

How Can I Best Protect Myself Against Holiday Scammers?

Alarm bells should ring for every holidaymaker when offers promise super-discounts, when it is claimed to be 50 per cent cheaper than the competition, when an advance payment is said to guarantee a striking price reduction (around 20–30 per cent), or sometimes when excessive time pressure is applied to the booking (“last chance”). Questionable, non-traceable payment methods and missing or excessively over-enthusiastic reviews can also indicate fraudulent offers. In general, it helps to be cautious. The dream villa on Lake Garda may sound lovely, but does it actually exist or is the property in reality located in an inaccessible war zone? Lake Garda can be checked with tools such as Google Maps to verify whether a building of the stated dimensions actually exists at the given address. Our corporate detectives in Berlin generally advise a healthy dose of scepticism for offers from lesser-known websites and providers.

The best protection is therefore not to trust every provider blindly but to do your homework beforehand: the larger and more well-known the booking platform, the more likely it is that detailed reviews exist, and the more conspicuous the absence of such reviews will be. Reputable providers often offer so-called “satisfaction guarantees” that can help you recover your money in the event of fraud. Thus, the quality and reliability of the booking platform are extremely important. Be particularly wary of newspaper adverts and private websites: there you have no guarantees and you conclude deals – often after friendly, familiar contact – with individuals who are unlikely to refund your deposit if things go wrong. As a rule, avoid holiday offers that can only be paid by bank transfer; reputable providers at least offer credit-card payment as an option. If you have already transferred money, make sure you at least have the name, account details and as much information about the provider as possible to give you a starting point in the event of fraud. Screenshots of the website, the imprint and the booked offer or printed copies of emails are additionally useful if our private detectives in Berlin are to hunt down the fraudsters.

Vacant Plot Instead of Dream Villa? If the Damage Has Already Occurred, Our Berlin Corporate Detectives Can Help.

If you suddenly cannot contact the provider or have already arrived and find a wreck, an over-occupied flat or simply locked doors, you should of course involve the police, as this may be holiday fraud. Authorities in Germany are not known for speed, and in many southern countries – the classic holiday regions – they are dramatically slower still, especially when it concerns “only” tourists.

Our detectives are not location-bound and are happy to help you in these and similar cases. We will advise you without obligation on our possible approach in your specific case, the expected costs and the prospects of success. You can reach us by e-mail via our contact form or at kontakt@kurtz-detektei-berlin.de and by telephone at: +49 30 5557 8641-0.