Vacation Rentals Phoney Check Scam

It surprises me that this type of fraud still works but apparently it does. I'll give a little background on this scam and then explain how these criminals are targeting Vacation Rental Owners like you now.

Some Background:
Most of us at one time or another has received an email from some Barrister or attorney in Nigeria or Africa that represents the estate of some wealthy person who you are distantly related to that died. Their offer to you is to take possession of the phoney bank wire for the estate of $5million or so dollars at your bank. In return you send them out $4.0 million dollars to the attorneys bank in Africa and you keep the tidy commission of $1,000,000. Sounds great doesn't it? Aren't you excited when your bank account grows from $10,000 to $5,010,000 !
So, you send out a bank wire to Africa for $4 million bucks and start thinking about what you're gonna do with all the extra loot. Unfortunately, quite quickly you get notice from the bank that the wire for $5million coming into your bank account bounced and you actually received $0 to your account. Now, you've sent out the $4million to the other bank and the bank can only cancel $3,990,000 of it since you actually had $10,000 in there. You've lost your $10,000 and subject to a bunch of bank fees. Welcome to the Nigerian email scam. Thousands of people fall prey to this each year.

Targeting Vacation Rental Owners:
What kind of numbskull would fall victim to that type of scam I bet you're thinking? Well, plenty of smart, educated vacation rental owners are falling victim to a sneaky form of this. So, watch out and here's how it works.

You get a friendly email inquiring about particulars for your Vacation rental home. How many bedrooms, the availability and rates. You respond with all the info and quickly get a reply asking if you can rent out your place for entire month or two months! Wow! That is some good money.
You agree and provide a dollar cost for the entire rental period they requested. Let's say it's $4,000 total. They agree to figure and they will be sending you a check. In some cases they tell you up front that they will be sending you a check for say $5,000 or maybe a check will just arrive for $5,000. It looks legit and is even Bank Certified. You quickly get an email where the person has explained their mistake and could you deposit the check and send out the difference immediately! They are going to be in great financial hardship because of this error, perhaps.
Oh, and their emails are usually peppered with references to their Christianity and God. These must be good people, right?

So, you send out a check for $1,000 right away to cover the mistake. A week later you find out the $5,000 check was fake. You got $0 from this deal. Oh, but you sent out $1,000 already and it has been cashed you see from your online banking statement. This is and many variations are being used against vacation rental owners across the world. You'll also see this same scenario being used for cars, tv's, bikes etc.... It is very popular and prevelant because it works and preys on the generosity and kindness of so many good people.

What to do:
If you think that this could be happening to you and you've received an inquiry like this first do not send any funds out. Second, insist that the payer use a credit card. If they give you one make sure to verify the purchase and get a confirmation through your merchant provider. If they refuse to do the credit card insist that they send you only the amount for the reservation and tell them you'll need 10 to 14 days to verify the deposit. In most cases this will stop the process and you will never hear from them again.

Resources:
Information from the FTC - http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/nigeralrt.shtm

Law enforcement agencies around the world are all too aware of "419"/"Nigerian" scam activity. As long as you do not respond to the e-mail or letter, it is safe to delete it or throw it away.

The U.S. Secret Service has instructed anyone in the US who has lost funds because of this scam to forward appropriate written documentation to:

U.S. Secret Service Financial Crimes Division
950 H Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20001.
(202) 406-5850

Or send email using the Secret Service form ordirect to 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov

If you have received a letter, but have not lost any monies to this scheme, please fax a copy of that letter to (202) 406-5031.

And finally, there is more information here at the Secret Service Online Crimes Division
http://www.ustreas.gov/usss/

Take care and be safe,

Chris
Utahvacationrentals.com

Warm week ahead in Park City. The storms will come....

I've lived in Park City, Utah for 8 years now. It seems every winter is different in how it starts out. I love snow and want it to just dump constantly to feed my powder addiction. In years past I've been hiking Deer Valley with my snowboard in mid October with snow up to my waist. Other years I've been hiking at 8,000ft in tall grass, butterflies fluttering and summer like temps with no snow, in late November. We wondered how could the ski resorts ever hope to open. Well, 4 days later from my hike there were avalanche conditions from a major two day storm. It went from late summer conditions to avalanche conditions in days.

Amazing how it can change so quickly.
In the meantime, I'm going to go take a mountain bike ride and enjoy the cool temps. The snow will be here soon....

I posted a couple of photos I took recently in the Uinta National Forest which is right next door to Park City, Utah. If you ever visit, take a day trip up to this high altitude mountain wonderland.

Chris
http://www.utahvacationproperties.com/

http://www.gomoab.com/




Provo River Falls

Boulder County Colorado Ban on Cabin Rentals

I ran across this article in the Boulder County, Colorado Business Review -bcbr.com

I found it strange that since 1954 there has been a ban on cabin and home rentals in Rural parts of the county? I emphasize Rural. I can understand a neighborhood of homes near town banning rentals via the HOA but the county instituting the ban of no leases under 90 days I thought strange. Anyhow, the article is below. Chris

VACATION RENTALS: The Boulder County Commissioners will review a 1954 law that bans vacation or cabin rentals of homes in unincorporated Boulder County.
Defined as short-term leases fewer than 90 days, there are numerous rentals violating the land code, according to the county.
"Recently, the county has received a number of complaints against - and opinions in support of - allowing cabin and home rentals on a short-term basis in rural parts of the county," officials said in press release.
Boulder County Commissioners Will Toor, Ben Pearlman and Cindy Domenico have decided to allow those short-term rentals to continue operation until Jan. 1, 2008.
"This temporary stay of enforcement against rental violations will give cabin owners time to honor their fall and holiday commitments while putting them on notice that these rentals must cease by the end of the year," the county press release said.
In the meantime, the land-use department and commissioners will begin discussions on if the land code needs to be amended. The process is expected to take about six months starting later this fall, with public meetings in early 2008.
Possible new regulations that will concern:
- Levels of rental activity
- Basic structural requirements to ensure safe and healthy occupancy
- Potential impacts on traffic, neighbors, and the neighborhood; and
- County review processes