Sanibel vacation realtor speaks out against scammers posing as her on Facebook

SANIBEL ISLAND, Fla. — Have you ever booked the vacation of your dreams only to find out you’ve been left in the dark thanks to a scammer?Now, more than ever, scammers are taking advantage of unsuspecting victims online but there is a trend. It’s a growing problem that one vacation realtor wants to help end.“She called and said I just want to let you know this person is portraying to be you, going on to the Facebook page and chiming in as an owner and conning people out of thousands of dollars.”It’s become a growing plague throughout vacation realty and it all starts with a click. Prospective vacationers thinking they’re booking the rental of their dreams only to be scammed.“Basically, this person has created a Facebook page using my name and then sending a client a VRBO listing,” said Patience Rodriguez, a business partner with Select Vacation Properties. “When the client goes to that listing, it’s an actual property and it says its hosted by Patience Rodriguez so it looks legitimate.”Only- it’s not. Patience Rodriguez has been in the business on Sanibel Island for more than 22 years and not once has dealt with this type of identity theft before.…
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