Steps to take to see if a Homeaway enquiry email is genuine

Post scam emails to warn other rental owners, or if you are not sure if an enquiry is genuine, put it up here and see what others think.
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AngloDutch
Posts: 727
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 10:25 pm
Location: Netherlands

Steps to take to see if a Homeaway enquiry email is genuine

Post by AngloDutch »

I always check the following on every enquiry I receive from HA/VR/OD (plus from many other sites as well):

- If a property ID is showing in the email, I check whether it corresponds to my own property ID on my advert

- I check if images in the email are being blocked by my PC. This does not happen with genuine enquiry emails

- I look at the layout of the email to check if it seems different to a verified previous enquiry email

- If there is no message included with the enquiry, you shouldn't need to click on 'Show details' to access this

- Although enquirers often ask for dates which are unavailable, phishing emails will enquire for dates at random, including therefore dates which are already booked. I check this as well

- I HOVER over links with my mouse to see whether there are any telltale signs that these do not come from the Homeaway Group. I NEVER CLICK ON ANY LINKS

- I use two different email addresses for receiving notifications from the Homeaway Group. A duplicate enquiry email should therefore always appear

- I sign into my dashboard separately (not via any link in the email) to check whether the enquiry has been recorded there

- I check to see whether I have received a text message (as I am set up for this) from the Homeaway site from where the enquiry is purportedly originating
waterwitch
Posts: 271
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 7:09 pm
Location: Conwy, North Wales
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Post by waterwitch »

Good points - I've had a few hoax VRBO/HomeAway enquiries come through this past week. None have appeared in my dashboard or via a text alert which was enough to ring alarm bells but they are incredibly convincing at first look!

Property references are wrong too - but you don't always spot that.
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