Online rental listings can mislead travelers: AI and fake reviews fuel vacation scams
A family’s San Diego vacation rental looked perfect in online photos but proved unsafe and misrepresented, illustrating how scammers use AI-generated imagery, fake reviews, and bait-and-switch tactics on short-term rental sites. Travelers should verify beyond the listing with tools like Google Street View and reverse image search, document all communications, and report issues to hosts and platforms to seek refunds, as misrepresented rentals remain a widespread concern.