Key takeaways

Pay deposits by credit card and keep the booking on the platform. A host or vendor who wants a peer-to-peer app, wire, crypto, or a direct payment “to avoid fees” is showing the biggest red flag.

  • The FTC says to get the contract before sending any deposit for a vacation rental, and to treat wire transfers, gift cards, and crypto like cash.
  • The BBB advises wedding couples to speak to vendors by phone or in person, check references, and pay by credit card rather than a peer-to-peer app.
  • If you paid, call your card issuer, bank, or payment app right away and ask for a reversal. Speed matters.

Got a vendor, host, or website name? Check the scam directory.

How deposit scams work

Both scams use the same trick: a deposit is normal, so asking for one does not raise suspicion. The difference between a real vendor and a fake one is who receives the money and what protects you afterwards. For weddings the BBB describes a couple finding a photographer on social media or a vendor site, confirming the date by email or social media, signing a digital contract, and paying a deposit through a peer-to-peer payment app with the final payment due just before the wedding. The photographer may then cancel a few days before the wedding after collecting full payment, not turn up, or disappear after the wedding without delivering photos or video. When the couple tries to get money back, the contact details no longer work.

For vacation rentals the BBB describes scammers posing as owners on platforms such as VRBO or Airbnb, or in Facebook groups, who offer a discount if you pay them directly through a digital wallet instead of through the platform. After you send an initial payment they may send a realistic receipt, then stop responding. The property may be real, but the person collecting your money does not own it. The Irish CCPC adds that problems often appear on arrival: keys that do not work, or an address that is already occupied.

Scamwatch, in a 2016 alert, described the same pattern on sharing-economy sites: cheap accommodation in attractive locations, steering victims off the site to pay by money order or wire, fake copies of the booking site, and confirmation emails that imitate the real site. It reported over 150 reports in 2016 with $80,000 lost, roughly triple the 2015 figure. The numbers are old, but the method has not changed. For other booking scams see travel and holiday booking scams, and for long-term lets see rental scams.

What reported losses look like

The BBB’s April 2025 wedding photographer alert gives three anonymised examples. One person lost $1,700 after the photographer stopped responding and the contact details went out of service, and a reporter found the same photographer had done the same or worse to more than 30 other brides. Another lost $5,300 when the photographer took a deposit and full payment then cancelled two days before the event and kept everything. A third lost $2,400 after paying a deposit and full payment: the photographer either did the work and never delivered it, or did not show up.

For rentals, the BBB’s Scam Tracker alert quotes one consumer who sent $11,348 via Zelle for a March 1 to 15 booking and could not get a refund, and another who lost a $2,500 first-month rent payment after the “owner” refused to return it. These are consumer reports to the BBB, not findings by a court.

Eight warning signs

  1. A request to pay outside the booking platform. The BBB says scammers offer a discount if you pay them directly through a digital wallet instead of the rental platform. Scamwatch advises paying only through the platform’s approved payment system.
  2. A deposit by peer-to-peer app, wire, crypto, or prepaid card. The BBB lists Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, wire transfer, and prepaid cards as red flags for rentals. The FTC says wire transfers, gift cards, and cryptocurrency are like cash: once sent, you probably cannot get it back.
  3. A vendor who refuses a phone call or a meeting. The BBB lists refusing a phone call or in-person meeting, and operating only through social media, as red flags for wedding photographers.
  4. A price far below similar places or vendors. The FTC says rent much cheaper than most in the area could be a sign of a scam. The Irish CCPC lists prices far below similar properties among the signs of a holiday rental scam.
  5. Pressure to pay now to “secure” the date or the property. The CCPC lists pressure to pay a deposit right away, often citing high demand. The FTC says if anyone pressures you to decide quickly, walk away.
  6. No contract, or a contract that is vague on cancellation and refunds. The FTC says to get a copy of the contract before sending any deposit for a vacation rental. The BBB lists an unclear cancellation, refund, or delivery timeline as a red flag for wedding vendors.
  7. An owner or vendor you cannot verify. The CCPC lists owners who cannot show you the property and who stop answering after you pay. The BBB lists a thin online history and few past clients.
  8. A payment link or “confirmation” email that mimics the booking site. Scamwatch describes fake copies of booking sites and confirmation emails that imitate the real site’s logo or email address. Check the address before you click.

How to check a wedding vendor before you pay

  1. Check ratings and reviews on several sources. The BBB suggests BBB.org for accreditation and complaints and BBB Scam Tracker for reports.
  2. Read their website and social media history. A thin history and few past clients is a BBB red flag.
  3. Get references and call them. Ask what was delivered and when.
  4. Insist on a phone call or in-person meeting, and sign the contract by phone or in person where you can.
  5. Read the contract for the details that matter: cancellation and refund terms, day-of details, turnaround time, payment schedule, and contact information, signed and dated by both parties.
  6. Pay by credit card, cash, or cashier’s check rather than a peer-to-peer app, as the BBB advises. Scambaba advice: a card also gives you a dispute route if the vendor closes before your date.
  7. Keep every message and receipt in one folder.

How to check a vacation rental before you pay

  1. Get a copy of the contract before any deposit, as the FTC advises.
  2. Verify the address. The FTC says to check it, and for resort properties to call the front desk and confirm the location and details on the contract. The CCPC suggests checking the property exists on online maps and researching rents for similar properties.
  3. Search the owner’s name and the address alongside the word scam, and look for duplicate listings with different owners. The FTC says duplicate ads for the same address under different names are a sign of a scam.
  4. Keep communication and payment on the platform, and never click an external link to pay, as the CCPC and BBB advise.
  5. Use a credit card where you can, since the BBB notes fraudulent charges are easier to dispute.
  6. Use contact details you already have, not details from the listing alone, as the FTC says for rentals.

If you already paid: step by step

Act in this order. The payment steps are from the FTC’s “what to do if you were scammed” page.

  1. Stop sending money, including “insurance”, “release”, or “booking confirmation” fees. A second request after the first payment is a common next move.
  2. Call your payment provider right now. Credit card: call the issuer on the number on the back of the card, say the charge was unauthorized or that you were tricked, and ask for a refund. Debit card: contact your bank or credit union at once. Payment app: report it to the app and ask for a reversal. Bank transfer or Zelle: report it to your bank and ask them to reverse the payment. Wire (Western Union, MoneyGram): report it to the wire company and ask for a refund. Gift card: contact the issuer and keep the card and receipt. Crypto: contact the exchange or ATM operator, though recovery is harder.
  3. Save evidence. Screenshot the listing or social profile, the messages, the contract, the receipt, and the payment confirmation.
  4. Report the listing or profile to the platform or site, so it can be removed. The FTC and CCPC both advise reporting to the site where the ad appeared.
  5. Report to the authorities, using the list below. The FTC says to report to local law enforcement, the website where the ad was posted, and your state attorney general.
  6. Secure your accounts if you shared logins or ID. Change passwords, turn on two-factor authentication, and see phishing messages if you clicked a payment link.
  7. Plan a backup. For a wedding, contact other vendors and your venue early, ask whether they have cancellation cover, and tell guests. Do not pay a “recovery” service. See recovery scams.

Where to report

More help from official sources

Scambaba is an independent educational project. Reporting and recovery options depend on where you live. Items marked as Scambaba advice are practical suggestions, not quotations from an agency. How these guides are researched is on the editorial policy.

Frequently asked questions

Is it normal to pay a deposit for a wedding photographer or venue?

Yes. Deposits are standard. The BBB’s advice is about how you pay and what is in writing: get the cancellation and refund terms, day-of details, photo turnaround time, payment schedule, and contact details in a contract signed and dated by both parties, and pay by credit card, cash, or cashier’s check rather than a peer-to-peer app.

Why do scammers ask for Zelle, Venmo, or Cash App?

These payments are fast and are hard to reverse once sent, so they suit a deposit scam. The BBB lists Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, wire transfer, and prepaid cards as red flags for vacation rentals, and advises a credit card where possible because fraudulent charges are easier to dispute.

The property is real and I can see it online. Can it still be a scam?

Yes. The BBB describes a version where the property may be real but the person collecting your money does not own it. Check that the listing’s contact details match the platform’s official host profile, check the address on maps and for duplicate listings, and book only through the platform.

A photographer cancelled two days before the wedding and kept my money. What can I do?

Contact your card issuer or payment app straight away and ask for a dispute or reversal, keep the contract and messages, and report to the BBB Scam Tracker and the FTC. The BBB’s 2025 article quotes a bride who lost $5,300 this way, and another who learned the vendor had treated 30 or more other brides the same way. Reports help others spot a pattern.

What should I do if I paid by Zelle or another transfer?

The FTC says to report it to your bank or credit union immediately and ask them to reverse the payment. Success is not guaranteed once the money has left, so move fast, and report to the FTC and, where the booking was on a platform, to the platform.

How do I check a vendor or host is real?

Follow the BBB: check ratings and reviews on several sources including BBB.org and BBB Scam Tracker, review the vendor’s website and social media history, get references and call them, and finalise details by phone or in person. For a rental, the FTC says to verify the address, and for a resort property to call the front desk and confirm the location and details on the contract.

I am abroad and the host says the platform charges too much. Is that a reason to pay directly?

No. The BBB lists a discount for paying directly instead of through the platform as a red flag. Platforms offer refunds, cancellation policies, and dispute resolution that you lose by paying off-platform, as Scamwatch notes. Report the listing to the platform and keep the booking and the payment in one place.