Scammers are hacking users of vacation rental websites throughout the Bay Area, which has more than half a million current listings, according to the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit.
More than nine million homes have had at least one person fall prey to a phishing attempt, and NBC Bay Area’s Investigate Unit uncovered hacking problems involving websites Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO.com) and parent site, HomeAway.com.
Listers have had their emails compromised, and would-be renters have forked over thousands of dollars to hackers thinking they are renting a home, according to the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit.
For those who have lost their money in the hacking scheme, there has been no recourse in recovering their funds, according to the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit.
McAfee reports that phishing is increasing again after dropping in 2012. The company’s research also indicates that the United States now hosts the most phishing URLs in the world.
For first-hand accounts of victims and security experts, view the full NBC Bay Area investigative report here.
