'A terrible shock': family arrives at dream vacation – and discovers the place doesn't exist at all

A Belgian family of five booked a vacation rental in Italy through Booking.com and discovered the address doesn't exist. Trying to find an alternative apartment on the same site led them to fall for the same scam twice. This is part of a wave of 'ghost apartment' frauds that has hit at least 120 families along the coast. Local authorities intervened, helped the family, and housed them in a hotel until August 10.

A Belgian family of five traveled to Italy for a vacation, but their dream turned into a nightmare. They booked a vacation apartment in the coastal town of Cesenatico through Booking.com, under the name Residence Da Andrea on Giovanni Pascoli Street. Upon arrival on Monday, August 3, they discovered the address is an office building housing a local insurance agency. The father told the Italian newspaper Il Resto del Carlino: "It was a terrible shock." In an attempt to find a quick solution, they booked an alternative apartment in Cervia through the same platform, but it too was fictitious. Thus, they fell victim to the same scam twice within hours. The family is part of a widespread wave of fraud: at least 120 families have been stung using the same method along the coast. The fictitious ads, under the names Residence Da Andrea and Residence Angelini, used real photos of an apartment for sale on the same street, and a national identification code (CIN) stolen from another property. Victims transferred deposits to a bank account in the name of "Andrea Angelini." Calls to the number in the ad were automatically forwarded to a nearby hotel that was unaware of its use as cover. The Italian police identified a main suspect and believe he acted with accomplices. The mayor of Cesenatico, Matteo Gozzoli, filed an official complaint with the prosecutor. The municipality housed the family in a hotel at an adjusted price until August 10. The father said with relief: "We are finally on vacation."