Oregon Coast Experts / Law Enforcement: How Not to Get Hit with Vacation Rental Scams

Published 08/17/2026 at 8:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Manzanita, Oregon) – Even to this day it's the bane of tourists anywhere in the world. Vacation rental scams send folks down the wrong road and into one disturbing financial mess or another, and then there's the other victims in these internet-borne rip-offs that are left with damaged reputations: the actual home owners. (Above: Kiwanda Coastal Properties)

Or it's the rental agency or website itself that gets hit with cleaning up a money mess.

On the Oregon coast and Washington coast, it still happens as well. This is where the Pacific Northwest's rental industry is at its busiest, after all. Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals

So how do you keep yourself safe from such scams if you're hitting the beaches of places like Westport, Newport, Bandon or Cannon Beach?

Nicole Twigg at Pacific City's Kiwanda Coastal Properties and the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office recently came up with some suggestions.

The LCSO noted now that it's summer, this can be the height of hijinks aimed at travelers. And with the Second Summer of September and October hitting the Oregon and Washington coast soon, the tourism season doesn't let up much – and thus words of caution are still in order for the year.

Among the things LCSO said to look out for:

“- Scammers post vacation rentals online at enticing prices.

- They ask for advance payment via wire transfer, but the rental either doesn’t exist or is not available.

- Prevent this by using reputable rental platforms or companies.”

Twigg said Kiwanda Coastal Properties has on occasion heard from guests with horror stories.

“[They have] turned up to their vacation and the home was occupied by someone else, or just didn't exist,” she told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. “They had somehow booked online with a sophisticated scammer. We have even seen our homes copied, and advertised on certain sites.”

A1 Beach Rentals, Lincoln City

Oregon Coast Beach Connection has seen its own advertisers copied and pasted as well.

What websites pull these fast ones? It can happen even on larger, more reputable sites, and not just the free-for-alls sites that allow anyone to post.

Twigg had these suggestions:

- To avoid this, check out the property listings thoroughly. Most vacation rentals are advertised on more than one platform. Search the name of the home, the address, or the registration number. You should be able to find the home.

- Although prices might vary slightly (it's always cheapest to book directly with a reputable host or management company), the photos, calendars, and descriptions should match on all sites.

- Usually, the scammers' sites will be a lot cheaper.

She told Oregon Coast Beach Connection she's seen this larger, corporate sites. “The fake 'host' will list several properties that they don't really manage, and then will try to book it for you after they receive your inquiry.”

- Searching for that home on any other listing platform or direct booking site is the best way to know you're staying with the actual host.

- Also, before booking you can ask some questions about the property. Are there bikes? How busy is the walk to the beach? Fake hosts won't likely have good answers.

Some verified vacation rentals Oregon Coast Beach Connection deals with:

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