There is a logo, general conditions and nice photos. On the rivierabudget.com site, which draws on the aesthetics of Airbnb for its search bar and Expedia for its selection of trendy accommodations, everything encourages the aspiring vacationer to book. Especially since, according to the promise, the rentals are made at reduced prices.
There you can find rentals in Monaco, Nice or Saint-Tropez. But, as France Inter warns, this site is fake.
Some details confuse the keen eye. There is already a selection of rentals for the Olympic Games, even though the deadline has already passed. Then there are the availability calendars, which surprisingly show completely free availability slots, which rarely happens on other platforms.
Finally, there are very attractive rates, such as a terraced house in the heart of the 16th arrondissement of Paris for 102 euros per night. Or 56 euros for a “charming apartment with a view of the Eiffel Tower”. Or even accommodation in Corsica “on the heights of Cavanello” for 94 euros per night.
But, surprise, when you type in Google, you find exactly the same offers on Airbnb, at significantly higher prices, since service and cleaning fees must be added. And whose availability times are much more limited. Contacted by BFM Business, the owner of the listing in Passy indicates that everything has been stolen.
But it’s not just ads that are stolen. Legal notices are stolen too. The contact address in Nice is that of a club, and the siren and RCS number is that of the Nice-Riviera hotel, from which the site probably takes its name.
According to Radiofrance, for those who risk paying on the site, the transfer goes to an account located in Spain. So many details that definitively classify this site, created only in July, as a scam.
Fake sites are becoming more and more sophisticated and can fool even a trained eye. What are the remedies if you are the victim of a fraudulent site? An Info-Escroqueries platform allows direct access to police and gendarmes. The official site masecurite.interieur.gouv.fr allows you to report illegal content on the Internet, unwanted emails and SMS: fake sales sites, online blackmail, bank card fraud. However, nothing replaces vigilance against platforms that offer overly tempting offers.
Source: BFM TV
