Cesenatico (Forlì-Cesena), August 3, 2026 – The smile and enthusiasm for the holiday wiped away in an instant on the first weekend of August. Emotions that turn into bitterness, disappointment, and anger. Upon arrival at the holiday destination, for many families the nightmare began. The dream residence does not exist.
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A tourist from Milan: “We are left out in the street”
“A person works for a whole year and then? – complains a 40-year-old from Milan with wife and two small children –. The children couldn’t wait to see the sea and my wife and I needed a break. And instead now we are left out in the street, with suitcases and no accommodation. We spent 300 euros for 5 nights, but the real discomfort is not having the holiday home.”
Dozens of families on Viale Pascoli
Yesterday morning, and throughout the afternoon, dozens and dozens of families arrived on Viale Pascoli in Cesenatico who had booked their holidays. The scam, unfortunately, was already in the air. On Saturday 90 families encountered the fraud, carried out either by an individual or by a well-structured criminal organization. Yesterday, on that street, the faces and voices of the holidaymakers revealed all the pain and inability to react. The phantom address is Viale Pascoli 2A, right in the center. But at that number there are offices.
“And now where do we go?”
“How is it possible that the apartment doesn’t exist? And now where do we go?”. Dad, mom, two small children. A child perched on the father’s shoulders. They are hot, thirsty, tired. The desire was to take a dip in the sea, after having dropped off the luggage at the booked, paid, dreamed residence. “We just arrived, we come from Milan – explains Alessandro, father of the family – as soon as we arrived on the street they told us: ‘Are you looking for the De Andrea residence? That is a scam’. We couldn’t believe it. We had understood that something was wrong because the cost of the holiday was too low, 700 euros for six nights for 4 people. In the past few days we called the mobile number provided. A kind voice told us that we could do an early check-in and that we could leave the suitcases and go to the beach. It’s the first time in Cesenatico, but it will also be the last.”
“We looked for the photos but the house had disappeared”
“A few days ago we looked again for the photos of the apartment on Booking, where we had booked the holiday. But the house had disappeared – explains another couple arriving from Reggio Emilia – we spent 300 euros for five days for 4 people. It seemed little for early August on the Riviera, but booking with Booking we were calm. When we saw that the apartment offer had disappeared from Booking we got a little alarmed. This morning we discovered the scam.” The scammer’s number is now deactivated.
Booking is finding alternative solutions
Now Booking is finding alternative solutions for the families but not all will be in Cesenatico, they are moving to nearby locations. Dozens of families yesterday were discussing the time they were told for check-in. The perfumery at the end of the street was holding the holidaymakers’ suitcases while they waited for a new booking from Booking and went to have a drink. But the day at the sea is lost. There are Mustafà and Naima with three children. There are 4 girls aged 20 from Reggio Emilia who spent 700 euros. There is Ellen, 45 years old from Bergamo with her two daughters aged 20 and 14. They spent 500 euros from August 2 to 9. From Bergamo, 45-year-old mom Ellen with daughters aged 20 and 14. “It seemed little, only 500 euros – says Ellen – I called the number of a certain Andrea who wanted me to book without going through Booking but I refused.”
Mayor Gozzoli: “We will not leave families out in the street”
While the police are searching for the serial scammers who deceived dozens of tourist families, who booked and paid the deposit or the full price of the holiday in a non-existent residence in the center of Cesenatico, other victims who had booked an apartment at the ‘Residence Da Andrea’ or ‘Residence Angelini’ also showed up yesterday on Viale Pascoli, only to realize that at that address there were the offices of an insurance company and the low-priced holiday was actually a big scam.
The city is doing its part and Mayor Matteo Gozzoli is closely following the problem of the families who were scammed. “As a municipal administration – says the mayor of Cesenatico – we are supporting the families who are left out in the street. At the Tourism Palace we have created a small reception point with air conditioning, fresh water, sofas and chairs. With the help of the staff of the Tourist Information Office, we are trying to find relocation for everyone. In these cases, the collaboration and support of accommodation facilities, agencies in our territory, and the hoteliers’ association who are cooperating with us is essential to help the families. Often it is not enough to have available places, but it is also necessary to understand needs, services, and economic conditions. To all of them goes my personal thanks for the great availability they are showing. I also want to thank the residents and businesses in the center near Viale Pascoli, who are cooperating. Romagna is always a hospitable land and from this we must start to face this problem that we want to solve.”
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