Hello everybody
We are being notified of attempted scams
These people are called Rémy Henry Patouillard (patrouillardremyhenry@gmail.com), Séverine Boucheix (boucheixseverine4@gmail.com) and probably others.
They are trying to book stays at various accommodations, possibly an attempt at a fake check scam or an attempt to obtain personal information.
Here is an example of a message sent, the content is always pretty much the same:
Hi,
I just saw your rental offer on the site, my wife and I would be happy to book with you for the date of April 05 to 26 for two adults.
Pending your confirmation, I remain at your disposal for any further information.
cordially
If you respond positively to this first email, a second email from the scammers will confirm the dates but they say they do not want to go through booking, airBnB or other official platforms in order to avoid additional fees. This is what should alert you.
These email addresses are listed (like many others) on the signal scams site (https://www.signal-arnaques.com/scam/view/806354 ou https://www.signal-arnaques.com/scam/view/803438), almost everywhere in France, and requests can come from any direct or indirect form (ardennes.com, valdardennetourisme.com or directly from your respective sites).
To protect yourself from these scam attempts,
- Ask for as much information as possible about the person making the reservation
- check on signal-arnaques.com the elements you have (email address or first and last name)
- Favor reservations through official platforms that allow bank imprint and have insurance in case of problems.
- Favor online payments via official platforms (bank transfer in advance, credit card, Paypal, etc.)
- Avoid paying by check, cash or through any dubious platform.