Accommodation Scams in Miami

Vacation Rental Listing Fraud

Fraudsters post convincing short-term rental listings for Miami Beach condos and Brickell apartments using stolen photos from legitimate Airbnb or VRBO properties, then advertise them at below-market rates on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or cloned booking sites. After collecting a deposit or full payment via Zelle, Venmo, or wire transfer, the scammer disappears and the property either does not exist at the listed address or is already occupied. Florida Attorney General investigations indicate roughly one in five online rental listings outside major platforms may be fraudulent, and Miami Beach zip codes are disproportionately targeted due to high nightly rates that make large deposits plausible. Victims typically discover the fraud only upon arrival and have no recourse when payments were made outside escrow.