Two years' jail over web ads for fake holiday rentals

A British man who used letting agency websites to con holidaymakers into booking non-existent villas in Europe has been jailed for two years.

Andrew Ryder, 47, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of fraud by false representation after stealing more than £120,000 ($A187,000) over a year. He advertised fake luxury villas in St Tropez, Cannes and Verbier, using several pseudonyms, and convinced victims to transfer deposits and payments to an account in the Czech Republic.

Reports of advertisements for non-existent villas – or for genuine properties not owned by the advertiser – on websites such as Craigslist and Gumtree rose sharply last year, possibly encouraged by the establishment in June of the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB). Victims are often unable to claim compensation.

Det Supt Bob Wishart, of the City of London Police's Economic Crime Directorate, said: "We are working in close partnership with the travel industry to combat this crime. People booking holiday villas in 2011 should use reputable companies and double-check all the details, even when on legitimate websites."

The Telegraph, London