Police have warned accommodation providers to watch out for thieves booking stays on stolen credit cards before making off with an illegal haul of household items.

Kettles, televisions and coffee machines are among the loot taken from targeted by travelling fraudsters during their overnight stays.

An Ahipara holiday homeowner raised the alarm on a community Facebook group after Auckland police reached out to her last week.

Officers told her the property had been listed under those utilised by a stolen credit card.

The situation has left her feeling “concerned and distressed”.

She described the deception as a “violation”.

“It’s a difficult experience, having trust broken and your space invaded.”

The lasting impact was the holiday homeowner would now start to question the intent of prospective guests.

Not only had she furthered her security measures but she had also started to notice unusual behaviour when bookings were made.

She told the Advocate that just this week she had received an unusual booking at 2.47am for a three-day stay.

“I had some apprehension, so I called them up,” she said.

But the people behind the booking never answered their phone or showed up on the day despite having paid for the stay.

The situation was a “difficult” terrain to navigate, she said.

“It’s hard to maintain some form of dignity for guests, while also utilising a certain amount of discernment.”

Spotting strange behaviour was one of the many tips police discussed with the owner during their phone call.

Other advice was to install security cameras, carry out regular site inspections, request car registration details and be aware of when removable items were stolen.

“As a lodge owner I’ve become cautious,” she said.

“But I don’t want to become anxious.”

Her main concern is a cease in crime.

“I hope that these people are A. helped, and B, stopped because they’re doing themselves such a disservice.”

The holiday homeowner said while the issue shocked her she wanted the people committing the crimes to be “informed of their options”.

Police say the issue of fraud is not unusual and their investigation into this specific incident is ongoing.

“Anecdotally, police see no shortage of fraud instances across the region. However, this is not specific to any one area.”

Other accommodation providers throughout Northland told the Advocate they weren’t aware of the fraud seen in Ahipara.

Earlier this month Northland Police described how they received complaints of stolen contactless cards on a regular basis.

“We are urging contactless cardholders to be more vigilant around security to try and help avoid more crime such as this.”

Police urged contactless cardholders to be extra vigilant to prevent falling victim to fraud.

Their advice was to be careful about where cards are stored – avoid leaving them in wallets or cars where they can be easily noticed.

Anyone with information about stolen credit cards or other fraud is encouraged to contact police on 105 and quote file number 220823/2442.