"Scammers are increasingly turning to fake vacation rentals"

Here's what it's all about

• The suitcases are packed—but for many travelers, their vacations end with a nasty surprise.
• Scam Hunter Peter Giesel reveals the tricks scammers use to target tourists.
• In this interview, the 58-year-old TV host talks about the most common vacation pitfalls—and how to avoid them.
• He also explains why scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated and what travelers should be especially on the lookout for this summer.
• In new episodes of his hit show “Achtung Abzocke,” airing every Thursday at 8:15 p.m. on Kabel Eins, Peter Giesel sets out to uncover the truth.

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Peter Giesel—this weekend, the World Cup kicks off in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Will you be watching the games even while filming the new season of “Achtung Abzocke”?

Yes, if the schedule allows it, definitely. Here in London, the time difference works out well, so we watch the games here. You can’t get into the pubs after 10 p.m., though. Many pubs close after 10 p.m. But: The country is pretty crazy about soccer.

Have you been recognized in London yet?

Yeah, I took six selfies here yesterday (laughs).

I'm sure people often approach you in your personal life. Does that bother you or your family?

A few days ago, I was sitting on the ICE with my daughters when they said, “Dad, please put on your sunglasses and your baseball cap!” Of course, I’m not a member of a boy band, but people often stop me, and I usually end up stopping too, because I hate to say no when someone’s standing in front of me with such enthusiasm. My family usually doesn’t mind taking selfies on vacation, but when it gets to more than three a day, they’re not so thrilled anymore.

They're currently filming in London. What should tourists watch out for there?

Pickpocketing is a major issue here, so you should be careful. In every pub, signs and stickers warn you to keep an eye on your belongings. And for good reason: Around 300 cell phones and about the same number of backpacks are stolen in London every day. Plus, the city is, of course, incredibly expensive—if you don’t do things right. When it comes to tickets, for example—whether for concerts, sightseeing tours, or musicals—you have to be extremely careful. Online, you can easily end up dealing with the wrong people, even on official platforms. Not all listings there are verified by any means. That’s why I don’t book things like that online for my vacations. I’d rather book directly on-site, even if it means waiting in line for another half hour. If you do book online: double- and triple-check everything.

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Surely this isn't just a problem in London?

No, definitely not. We also went to Croatia for the new season, including Dubrovnik. There’s really hardly any city that’s so—unfortunately, it has to be said—outrageously expensive: You’ll hardly find a pizza for less than 20 euros. You get ripped off at every third store. And: They offer a lot of “Game of Thrones” tours, since part of the series was filmed in Dubrovnik. American tourists, in particular, like to book these online in advance and then pay over 100 euros for 90 minutes. They’re shown a few photos, taken on a short tour, and that’s it—no joke. The real tour costs 20 euros and lasts three hours.

So does most fraud these days tend to happen online?

People probably wouldn't enjoy watching the show as much if I were glued to the computer all day. And that's why, of course, we need something tangible and visual. But there's no question about it—online scams have increased dramatically.

At the same time, however, there are more and more warnings about scams on the Internet. Are people more on their guard against scammers than they used to be?

Do people really get warned that much? I get the feeling that people have become incredibly careless and complacent and spend their money recklessly online—even though there are shows like “Achtung, Abzocke” and the Foundation for Consumer Protection. Very few people perceive social media as something dangerous or negative, and they’re much more careless with their money.

"Very few people perceive social media as something dangerous or negative, and they are much less careful with their money": Peter Giesel.

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What online scams do people fall for?

For example, there’s currently a scam where people believe they’ll get paid for watching certain videos. But to access them, they have to pay afterward. We’re no longer talking about just 20 or 30 euros—we’re talking about significant financial losses. I’ve seen people with families and children who cashed out their last savings account because they thought they’d finally hit the jackpot. When you hear stories like that, your first thought might be, “How could anyone fall for something like that?” but the scammers are extremely skilled at building trust. To date, hundreds of victims have already come forward to me alone.

And what, in particular, should vacationers watch out for online?

The big “vacation scam trend” is fake vacation rentals. In Croatia, this is a massive problem—and no one is really doing anything about it. It’s also an issue in the south of France. In Mallorca, authorities are now cracking down on this by requiring registration numbers for the apartments. With these numbers, you can check in advance on government websites to see if the house or apartment actually exists.

So, is it better to book directly with a tour operator?

You have to be careful here, too. While it’s not a widespread phenomenon, it’s still a crime: travel agencies or websites that don’t actually exist. My team and I are currently investigating one such case. In the past three weeks, we’ve received 40 reports about this: Vacationers booked package tours there for 3,000 or 4,000 euros and even received travel insurance certificates—which are mandatory for tour operators in Europe in the event of insolvency. But the trip never took place. In the end, the money was gone, and the victims may never see it again.

Can't the authorities help in cases like this?

I get the feeling that the authorities are very busy—but also very overwhelmed—with these investigations. The internet has greatly expanded the opportunities for scammers: They can deceive their victims more easily and hide their own identities more easily. During our investigations, we sometimes have great difficulty tracing bank accounts, even when a crime has clearly been committed. It’s simply not possible to investigate everyone who has defrauded others of money online: somewhere along the line, the proceeds are quickly converted into cryptocurrency, and then they’re gone. To be honest, I’m still waiting for the rapid-response investigative teams that can effectively track down these cases.

What effect does such a massive scam have on people?

When you’re betrayed like that, it really takes a toll. Vacations, in particular, are an incredibly emotionally charged time for most people. You work toward them—in the truest sense of the word. When something goes wrong, the emotional damage and frustration are much, much greater than in everyday life. I think there’s hardly anything that can disrupt family harmony as much as a ruined week of vacation. The emotional damage caused by being cheated on can sometimes be just as great as the financial loss.

Why Do People Become Fraudsters?

Many people overestimate their abilities. And it’s easy for them to commit fraud. When a small business starts to falter, it’s still relatively easy in Germany to keep going—perhaps even through fraudulent means. Instead of saying up front, “I have to stop because I miscalculated or because I just can’t do it.”” In Germany, our legal system is simply structured in such a way that it makes things relatively easy for such companies and individuals.

Where did you conduct your investigations for the new season of “Achtung Abzocke”?

In addition to London and Croatia, we also traveled to Italy, Australia, Bali, Canada, and Seattle. In Seattle, for example, we uncovered some pretty brazen fake Buddhist monks. I was actually already familiar with this scam from New York. They were begging for donations and showing pictures of their so-called temple. That’s how these five or six con artists managed to swindle hundreds of dollars out of vacationers. But we compared the video footage, and lo and behold: the so-called monks from Seattle used the exact same picture of a temple as the ones from New York City. They didn’t like us one bit when we confronted them. But even though we had the evidence, a situation like that is always difficult. After all, you don’t want to accuse a religious dignitary. However, a genuine Buddhist monk would never ask for money, let alone beg.

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Were there any other moments from the current season that stuck with you?

In Australia and also in Canada, we found a few stores selling counterfeit Indigenous art. A genuine Indigenous souvenir won’t cost less than 20 euros—everyone needs to be clear on that. Authentic totems or boomerangs can be found in art galleries or directly from the artists themselves—not in a souvenir shop that also sells magnets and baseball caps. In Australia, there are also a few seals of authenticity to look out for; if you see them, you’re usually on the safe side.

That sounds as if the Indigenous artists wouldn't necessarily benefit ...

Unfortunately, that’s true. During our research, we met an indigenous artist who made the mistake of selling his design—now a large company is making money off of it, and he doesn’t get anything anymore. He received a one-time payment of a few thousand euros, and yet the souvenirs still say: All Royalties Paid—all royalties paid. Realizing that Indigenous artists are being exploited—in this century, no less—was a terrible feeling. At the same time, I also had one of my most wonderful experiences of this season in Australia: At a rescue center, I was able to see a kangaroo up close. It simply lay down next to me and relaxed in the midday sun.

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