Verified Home Owners Reports & Reviews

Verified Home Owners Reports & Reviews (5)

Same as the scam above! - different last names Melissa Brandon

Beachfront family condo w/ Gulf view balcony & shared pools/hot tub/lazy river! - #8554317 Same as the scam below - different last names Melisa Brandon

Some people have no shame! are playing with the people moneys for vacations...that we save to enjoy a week of vacation with the whole family!
I had the same experience with this Melissa!
I got an email from her in 04-06-2023 with the same title and the same pictures! This is a BIG scam please do not rent units this is a scam.
The unit she says is in Panama City! and she did not want to provide the unit number. She sends me very fast the method for payment for the 07-01-2023 to 07-08-2023! around $3,000.00.
I did ask her about the unit number and what floor is the apartment she ONLY relay 5th floor!
I have no idea who she found out that I am looking for rental in Panama Citi and for the same period! To be onset at the beginning I thought that one of the owners that I emailed relay back to me with something available!
I did ask for a contract as we go on the second day, I did not receive that! and the unit number! (luckily I did not make any payments)
By the way she was in a rush for me to pay it make me think that is too good to be true and that is when I found this site for Verified Home Owners Reports & Reviews!

This is the first email and the pictures that I received from her!

Hello Adina,
Thank you for showing interest in booking my Gorgeous 2 Bedrooms Beachfront family condo, Gulf view balcony, Pools, Hot tub, and lazy river in Panama City Beach, FL.

Watch the emerald waves roll in each morning and the setting sun lights up the night sky at this beachfront condo on the shores of Panama City Beach!
Ideally situated within the family-friendly Splash Resort, this condo offers a 222-foot-long balcony with incredible views of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as shared resort amenities that include direct beach access, covered and outdoor pools, a hot tub, a lazy river, interactive children's play pools, a game room, and a fitness center!

WHAT’S NEARBY:
This 1,800-square-foot condo is part of Splash Resort, a Gulf-front property beloved by families on the quiet shores of Panama City Beach's west beach. You'll be just a few steps from excellent kayaking, paddleboarding, and swimming in the Gulf, and great food and drinks at the on-site Riptide Snack Bar.
If you're looking to explore the area, you'll be only three miles northwest of Gulf World and Pier Park, and eight miles southeast of Rosemary Beach on the shores of 30A.

Exclusive Amenities Include:
• 2 Bedrooms, 2 Full Bath
• 2 King Bed, 2 Twin Bed, 1 Sofa Bed
• This rental comes with 2 Beach chairs and umbrellas
• Heated pool, Hot tub, Children's pool
• Dishwasher, Fridge, Microwave, Stove
• Internet, TV, Cable, DVD player, Wireless router
• Balcony, Patio
• Elevator, Central AC, Gym/fitness room, Game room

Address: 17739 Front Beach Rd, Panama City Beach, FL 32413

QUOTE:
(Jul 01 - Jul 08, 2023, 7 nights)
Discounted Rent = $2,170
Cleaning Fee: $165
Tax: $280

TOTAL: $2,615 USD

Attached are the COMPLETE PHOTOS of my condo.

Please confirm if you're ready to book now, and I will email you a booking invoice.

Kind regards,
Melissa

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Beachfront family condo w/ Gulf view balcony & shared pools/hot tub/lazy river! - #8554317

Same as the scam below - different last names - Melissa Chad Hitchingham

People are horrible!

I booked an online vacation on verifiedhomeowners.com from a verified home owner (https://verifiedhomeowners.com/homes/8554317). I received an email from the "owner", Melissa Brandon through the booking inquiry I had made on the website. She also texted me. We had multiple emails back and forth. When I was ready to book, she sent me an invoice that stated where to send the deposit to through Zelle. I was supposed to make the final payment 30 days before arrival. Before that time, the "owner" asked me to pay earlier than the 30 days. I said that I would pay at the 30 day mark, which I did. The first deposit was through Zelle to the address listed on the invoice which was for $844 to [email protected]. The second payment through Zelle was for $1264 to [email protected]. During the email correspondence between the deposits she told me that they had a new account setup to send payments to "Melissa Ralph Brandon". After sending the second deposit on 5/25/2022, I sent the "owner" an email letting her know the payment had been sent and she replied that she had received it. This past Saturday, 6/18/2022, I emailed her for check-in instructions as we are to be arriving 6/25/2022. I had still not heard back on 6/20/2022, so I sent a followup email. I became concerned on the morning of 6/21/2022 that I had still not heard back. I emailed a third time to both emails she had provided. I then attempted to text, then call the number she had previously contacted me on that was also on the invoice she had sent me. The call would not go through. Upon reviewing the phone number through multiple internet searches, I become aware that the number was not a cell phone, but an internet line.

In an attempt to verify the true owner of the property, I went to the county property appraiser and searched the address of the building. In the verifiedhomeowners webpage, there was not a unit number listed. There are over 140 units in the building. None of the property owner names matched her's, however many were in an LLC.

I then took images from the listing, and did a reverse image search. I was able to find the property through a Marriott booking site and there it said it was maganaged by Vacasa Rental Management. Upon reviewing the actual listing and reviews, it seems that the "owner" I have been dealing with took legitimate information off of this site to create her own "reviews". In one case one of the reviewers on the legitimate website was taken and used a photo from a completely different person I also found through reverse image search.

Once I was able to identify the actual unit number, I went back to the property appraisers website and was able to establish the true owner's identity. Which the lady I have been corresponding with is not the owner.

Upon further investigation on the website, it appears that the entire website is a scam. There are multiple home listings of the exact same property that have different “verified homeowners”. I believe this website is using information from other legitimate websites such as https://www.vacasa.com/.

I have attempted contact with the "owner" to no avail. Upon all of my research it is clear that this is a scam.

**Update on 6/22/22, “Melissa” emailed me again stating that she needed to inform me that her husband reminded her that she needed to take a refundable damage deposit in the amount of 600 USD, which she forgot to inform me earlier. She asked me to send the extra deposit money to her daughter’s Zelle account.

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Victim Location 33880
Total money lost $1,835
Type of a scam Travel/Vacations

On June 6, 2022 I made first communication with an “owner” of a condo I found through Verifiedhomeowners.com. The owner name was Alvin King with Alvin King Vacation Rentals, LLC. He explained the total cost and how to send the money via PayPal and to make sure we use the “Friends and family” payment method as this would not add on further fees.A contract was sent/ signed and payment of $1835 was sent. A week later (6/15/22) I emailed asking if payment went through in which I received a response (6/16/22) it did not and if I could resend the money to another one of their accounts. I responded we would wait a couple more days to see if the first transaction would complete. On 6/20/22 I still have not heard back from the owner (who is now signing her emails as Melissa Brandon) PayPal was contacted and they verified the transaction was completed on June 10th. I emailed the “owner” once again stating this on 6/24/22 stating if this wasn’t resolved I would like the transaction reversed.On June 25, I received an email from Melissa saying she “ was about to email you the payment receipt and check-in info, but my husband reminded me about the Refundable Damage Deposit of 600 USD, which I forgot to inform you about earlier.” That is when I decided to search the internet and found the same condo was listed on Vacasa.com. The reviews for the condo that was listed on Vacasa.com was also reviews found in verified homeowners.com, except the names of reviewer was changed. I attempted to find a contact for verifiedhomeowners.com but no contact information was found on the website nor was the “email” they listed for inquiries would go through. I then came across this site and read the claim of another individual who had the same interaction with Melissa Brandon. PayPal will not be refunding our money since it was sent through a “friends and family” method not will the bank help. The condo listed on verifiedhomeowners.com is listing #8554317. The condo is located at 17739 Front Beach Rd, Panama City Beach, FL 32413 (Sterling Resorts-Splash).

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• Apr 28, 2023

This exact thing happened to me and my family last year by this same person. I paid 2,130 in 2 separate payments through my bank with Zelle and I was told there was nothing they could do. So this person has got away with scamming several people out of money. Just doesn’t seem far that nothing can be done to them and everyone get their money back.

Useful

Victim Location 32966
Total money lost $2,108
Type of a scam Travel/Vacations

I booked an online vacation on verifiedhomeowners.com from a verified home owner (https://verifiedhomeowners.com/homes/8554317). I received an email from the "owner", Melissa Brandon through the booking inquiry I had made on the website. She also texted me. We had multiple emails back and forth. When I was ready to book, she sent me an invoice that stated where to send the deposit to through Zelle. I was supposed to make the final payment 30 days before arrival. Before that time, the "owner" asked me to pay earlier than the 30 days. I said that I would pay at the 30 day mark, which I did. The first deposit was through Zelle to the address listed on the invoice which was for $844 to [email protected]. The second payment through Zelle was for $1264 to [email protected]. During the email correspondence between the deposits she told me that they had a new account setup to send payments to "Melissa Ralph Brandon". After sending the second deposit on 5/25/2022, I sent the "owner" an email letting her know the payment had been sent and she replied that she had received it. This past Saturday, 6/18/2022, I emailed her for check-in instructions as we are to be arriving 6/25/2022. I had still not heard back on 6/20/2022, so I sent a followup email. I became concerned on the morning of 6/21/2022 that I had still not heard back. I emailed a third time to both emails she had provided. I then attempted to text, then call the number she had previously contacted me on that was also on the invoice she had sent me. The call would not go through. Upon reviewing the phone number through multiple internet searches, I become aware that the number was not a cell phone, but an internet line.

In an attempt to verify the true owner of the property, I went to the county property appraiser and searched the address of the building. In the verifiedhomeowners webpage, there was not a unit number listed. There are over 140 units in the building. None of the property owner names matched her's, however many were in an LLC.

I then took images from the listing, and did a reverse image search. I was able to find the property through a Marriott booking site and there it said it was maganaged by Vacasa Rental Management. Upon reviewing the actual listing and reviews, it seems that the "owner" I have been dealing with took legitimate information off of this site to create her own "reviews". In one case one of the reviewers on the legitimate website was taken and used a photo from a completely different person I also found through reverse image search.

Once I was able to identify the actual unit number, I went back to the property appraisers website and was able to establish the true owner's identity. Which the lady I have been corresponding with is not the owner.

Upon further investigation on the website, it appears that the entire website is a scam. There are multiple home listings of the exact same property that have different “verified homeowners”. I believe this website is using information from other legitimate websites such as https://www.vacasa.com/.

I have attempted contact with the "owner" to no avail. Upon all of my research it is clear that this is a scam.

**Update on 6/22/22, “Melissa” emailed me again stating that she needed to inform me that her husband reminded her that she needed to take a refundable damage deposit in the amount of 600 USD, which she forgot to inform me earlier. She asked me to send the extra deposit money to her daughter’s Zelle account.

[email protected] – Elizabeth Brandon

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