My son-in-law owns rental properties in Salt Lake City. Recently, an elderly woman arrived at one of them expecting to move in, only to discover that the home was already occupied. Someone had copied the legitimate listing, posed as the landlord and taken her money for a property they did not own. Thankfully, he had another place for her to stay until she found a new home.

Rental scams have been around for years, but they are becoming more sophisticated as criminals use AI to clone legitimate online listings. The result is a scam that can be difficult to detect until after the deposit has been sent or the renter arrives at an address that is no longer available.

The fraud usually follows a familiar pattern. A scammer copies photos, descriptions and sometimes even reviews from a legitimate listing on Airbnb, VRBO or Zillow. The property is then advertised elsewhere — Facebook Marketplace and KSL are commonly used.

Next comes the pressure. You’re told demand is high, another renter is ready to pay or the owner is out of town and needs a deposit immediately to hold the property. The owner asks you to communicate by text or email. Finally comes the request that should stop the transaction: paying by wire transfer, Venmo, Cash App, cryptocurrency or even gift cards, rather than through the rental platform itself.

Vacation rentals are especially attractive targets during Utah’s busy travel seasons, particularly around Park City, Moab and the state’s national parks, when travelers are competing for limited availability and may feel pressured to book quickly.

Before you book a property, look for these common warning signs. The rental  is significantly cheaper than similar properties. The landlord refuses an in-person showing or a live video walkthrough, relying instead on pre-recorded videos. You find inconsistent information, such as photos that don’t match Google Street View. A request to pay outside the booking platform should also raise immediate concerns.

For long-term rentals, be especially cautious about providing sensitive personal information before you’ve confirmed the property and the landlord are legitimate. A Social Security number, driver’s license or banking information can be far more valuable to a scammer than your security deposit.

Fortunately, a few simple precautions eliminate most of the risk.

Whenever possible, stay on established rental platforms and keep all communication and payments there. Those services can’t prevent every scam, but they offer fraud protections you lose when you take the transaction elsewhere.

Verify the address independently using Google Maps and Street View, and use the property’s photos to conduct a Google search to see whether they’re being used in multiple listings. If you’re renting for more than a weekend, insist on either an in-person tour or a live video walkthrough where the owner can answer questions.

Pay by credit card or through the platform’s payment system. Both offer significantly better protection than cash transfers or person-to-person payment apps. Before sending any money, make sure you have a written rental agreement that clearly identifies the property, rental dates, total cost and cancellation policy.

Most importantly, don’t let urgency override common sense. Scammers depend on creating the impression that you’ll lose the property unless you act immediately. Legitimate landlords and property managers understand that renters need time to verify what they’re buying.

If you do become a victim, react quickly. Contact the booking platform immediately and notify your bank or credit card company to reverse the payment and cancel your card if you used one. Save screenshots of the listing, your messages and payment confirmations before they’re deleted. File a police report, report the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and, if you’ve shared sensitive personal information, visit IdentityTheft.gov to begin protecting your identity.

The technology behind these scams will continue to improve. AI can already generate convincing emails, fake customer service conversations and professional-looking listings in seconds. It can also help scammers create fake reviews, respond instantly to questions and tailor messages that sound increasingly authentic.

But the basic safety precautions haven’t changed: Slow down, verify independently and never send money because someone says you have to do it today. A few extra minutes of checking can save thousands of dollars and prevent a vacation or move from turning into an expensive lesson.

Leslie Meredith has been writing about technology for more than a decade. As a mom of four, value, usefulness and online safety take priority. Have a question? Email Leslie at asklesliemeredith@gmail.com.