about a vacation and every family saves all year long. so you want to make sure you're getting the most for your money. >> renting private homes is pretty hot right now and that means thiefs are finding ways to profit. abc's rebecca jarvis has all the important news. >> reporter: retired couple john and nancy donor love to travel and were planning the trip of a lifetime to new york city this fall. >> we're trying to travel farther away while we're younger. >> while we can. >> reporter: like so many, they turned to a vacation rental site, an explosively popular way to find lux accommodations without the price tag of a hotel. after clicking on several properties on one of those rental sites, vrbo, then right in their in-box, free laundry service, airport transfers and a 20% discount seemed like a great deal. so he accepted it, wired the cash and even got a thank you e-mail with a rental agreement. but then -- >> the website disappears and then i began to see, gee, what's going on here? >> reporter: what about the company listed on that rental