A finca rental scam almost always looks the same: a listing with pretty photos, a price below the market, pressure to deposit 100% up front and a cell phone number that stops answering on Friday. (A finca is a country house rented whole, usually with a pool, for a group or a family.) You don't have to be naive to fall for it. Being in a hurry is enough.
The signs that show up before the con
The price is far below the range for the municipality. If the median listing in Girardot is COP 870,000 per night and you are offered a house for twenty people at COP 250,000, you have not found a bargain. Check the range for the municipality before you get excited.
The photos don't match each other. A pool surrounded by cold-climate vegetation next to a terrace that is clearly in the hot lowlands. Furniture in incompatible styles. Photos of different resolutions and proportions.
They ask for full payment up front, and only to a personal account. An anticipo (deposit) of 30% or 50% is normal in the Colombian market. Paying 100% in advance, in a rush and without a contract, is not.
They refuse a video call. Asking for a two-minute live walkthrough is the simplest test there is. Someone who actually has the finca does it without a problem.
Contact only works over WhatsApp and the number changes. If the number changed between the first and second conversation, the conversation is over.
What to ask before you send money
1. The exact address and vereda (the rural district of the municipality; rural addresses in Colombia are given by vereda). Look it up on a map before you pay. 2. The full name and ID number of the person receiving the money. It should match the account holder. 3. If the property provides tourist accommodation on a permanent basis, ask for its Registro Nacional de Turismo (RNT), the national tourism registry. Not every private finca is required to have it, but those operating formally usually do and share it without fuss. 4. Exactly what is included: bed linen, kitchenware, final cleaning, pool service. 5. The cancellation policy, in writing, even if only in a message.
Ask for all of that in a single message. Someone who has the finca answers within minutes. Someone who doesn't takes a long time, gives half-answers or gets aggressive.
What they won't tell you
Most of the cases that reach us are not outright scams. They are expectations that didn't match: the finca exists, but the pool hadn't been cleaned in three weeks, the air conditioning was in only one bedroom, or the capacity of twenty people included mattresses on the floor. Legally there was no fraud. The weekend was ruined anyway.
That is why concrete questions are worth more than general distrust. How many beds and of what kind. How many bathrooms. When the pool was last cleaned. Which bedrooms have air conditioning.
Second: paying by bank transfer to a private individual leaves almost no way to file a claim. If the amount is large and you don't know the owner, a small deposit with the balance paid on arrival is a better deal than a discount for paying in advance.
What to do if you already paid
File a criminal complaint with the Fiscalía (Colombia's Attorney General's Office) and report it to your bank immediately. Keep everything: screenshots of the listing and the chat, the payment receipt and the phone number. If the listing was on a website, notify the site the same day, because that stops the next victim.
Frequently asked questions
How can you tell if a finca for rent is real?
Ask for a live video call, the exact address including the vereda, and the full name of the account holder. Compare the price with the range for the municipality. A price far below the market is the most common sign of fraud.
Is it normal to pay 100% in advance?
No. The usual practice is a deposit of 30% to 50% and the balance on arrival. A demand for full payment up front, made in a hurry, is the most common red flag.
What is the RNT and does it help to verify a rental?
The Registro Nacional de Turismo is the mandatory registry for tourism service providers in Colombia. Not every private finca is required to have it, but a formal operator has it and shares it without any problem.
What does it mean for a finca to be approved on Finkeros?
It means we reviewed the listing and verified that the finca exists and that its contact details respond. It applies only to fincas for rent and has to be renewed. It does not replace your own questions before you pay.