All too often in this modern world, the price that we pay for convenience is an elevated risk of dealing with scammers. They come in all shapes and forms— from the product that looked so great online, which turned out to be completely different in reality, to the hot date from your app of choice, who ended up being a major catfish. You have to be savvy to navigate it all.

Perhaps one of the most common scamming practices that can be found online comes through event space and holiday rental platforms. Many a person has booked a seemingly dreamy Airbnb that turned out nothing like the pictures, or been hit with complaints or extortionate hidden fees by an owner eager to make a few extra bucks. It can be truly frustrating, but the customer isn’t always completely powerless to fight back. There are some things that can be done in these situations.