WELLS — Wells police are warning consumers about scammers posting fake vacation rental advertisements on Craigslist.

“We have received numerous calls about vacation rental scams on Craigslist. It is getting harder for people to determine if a rental listing is a scam or not,” police stated on the department’s Facebook page on Tuesday.

Police advise people to search the address of the listing online to see if it is for sale. If it is for sale, call the real-estate agent and ask if the property truly is for rent.

Police also advise potential renters to ask to speak to a listing agent on the phone, and if they refuse or give an excuse, it’s most likely a scam.

If the advertised rental seems to good to be true or if an email from the advertiser has poor grammar, the ad is likely a scam, said police.

Police recommend using a service such as Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway or a real-estate company, or calling a local chamber of commerce for a listing of reputable lodging properties and rental agencies.

Ari Lazarus, consumer education specialist with the Federal Trade Commission, on the FTC web page, further advises consumers never to pay for a rental with a prepaid credit card or by wiring money, as the money sent is almost impossible to get back.

Lazarus also recomends getting a contract before sending deposit money.

Some scammers take pictures and information from real rental listings and some hijack the email accounts of the actual property owners, while others make up listings for places that aren’t for rent or don’t really exist, said Lazarus.

“To get people to act fast, they often ask for lower than average rent or promise great amenities. Their goal is to get your money before you find out the truth,” said Lazarus.

Lazarus asks those who come across a fraudulent vacation rental ad, whether they’ve lost money or not, to report it to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

Lazarus also recommends that those who sent money to a rental scammer to contact the bank or money transfer company they used to send the money and tell them the transaction was fraudulent. Though the consumer might not be able to get their money back, it’s important the company who transferred the money be notified of the fraud.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.