Accommodation Scams in Queenstown

Fake Online Accommodation Booking for Ski Season

During peak ski season and major events like Queenstown Winter Festival, fraudulent listings for apartments and holiday homes appear on third-party rental platforms and classified sites. The properties are cloned from legitimate listings using stolen photos, and prices are set just below market rate to appear attractive. Victims pay a deposit or full amount via bank transfer, then arrive to find the property does not exist or is already occupied by its real tenants. Losses commonly range from NZD 500 to over NZD 3,000.