Could that cheap Airbnb be a scam? String of holidaymakers conned out of thousands of pounds
Criminals are posting fake adverts on the lettings site, conning holidaymakers out of thousands of pounds
FRAUDSTERS are conning innocent holidaymakers out of thousands of pounds by posting fake listings on the peer-to-peer accommodation site, Airbnb.
The criminals are placing fake adverts on the site, using stolen photos from genuine properties and fabricating descriptions of the homes.
Families are in many cases falling for the scams, but Airbnb won't always offer protection to those who are left out of pocket.
A businessman told how he booked a villa in Ibiza and paid the "owner" £3,371 for a nine-night stay for his family, sending the money by bank transfer because the owner had told him Airbnb's payment system was broken.
She had also told him the messaging system was faulty, so they had been discussing payment over personal email instead of the official Airbnb messaging channel.
Because the payment was made by bank transfer and not through the site's own payment system, the firm refused to refund the money, when it turned out the host was a scammer and had stolen all of the money.
Other holidaymakers report they have been scammed in a similar fashion.
Airbnb says users should never "share [their] email address before a booking is accepted or transfer funds outside the Airbnb system."
It added that if a user is contacted by a host through their personal email, or if they are asked to pay off-site, they should report it to the company immediately.
But unsuspecting holidaymakers are falling for the increasingly sophisticated scams, and without protection by Airbnb they are losing thousands of pounds - and having their holidays ruined.
Anyone can sign up to the lettings site, leaving the door open for criminals to post fake listings to lure in innocent holidaymakers.
Airbnb told The Sun Online: "Airbnb protects hosts and guests by handling all payment and communication through our secure platform.
"When you keep your details secure and payment and communication strictly on the Airbnb platform, payments are accurate and your account is secure."
The firm continued: "There have been over 140 million guest arrivals in Airbnb listings and negative incidents are extremely rare.
"We proactively educate users on why it's important to keep their payments on Airbnb and never pay outside the Airbnb website. A warning appears next to every message thread between guests and hosts on the website. "
What is Airbnb?
It describes itself as a peer-to-peer online marketplace and homestay network that allows homeowners from all over the world to let out their properties for days or weeks when they aren't using them.
The cost of the accommodation varies, but it always set by the property owner.
There are more than 3million listings on the site across 65,000 cities and 191 countries.
How does it work?
It is as simple as booking a hotel online.
The website allows you to browse according to location and price, and you can see reviews of past visitors. From there you pay the fee and turn up.
The hosts will greet you and hand over the keys.
Hosts make money by renting out their homes, and Airbnb takes a cut too.
What are the risks?
There can be risks for both hosts and guests.
There have been several reports of hosts' properties being vandalised and damaged by guests. While Airbnb will reimburse eligible hosts for damages up to £600,000, there is limited protection for valuable items like artwork, collectables and jewellery.
Earlier this year, an Airbnb host was left devastated when her £500,000 flat was trashed by guests on New Year’s Eve.
Christina McQuillan, 31, returned home to find scores of revellers pouring in and out of the building, a couple having sex, floors damaged from the broken glass and walls marked by furniture moved around the flat to make space for music decks.
At the time, Airbnb offered to pay for the damage and said: “We have zero tolerance for this kind of behaviour.”
For guests, there are of course the risks of being scammed by fake listings, and without protection in place, they can lose thousands of pounds.
Guests should also be wary of phishing scams in which someone will send an email or link that is made to look like it's from Airbnb, but it isn't, and instead the messages contain malware, which can gain access to your computer to gather your personal information, including passwords.
How to spot a fake Airbnb listing
IT can be very difficult to spot a fake listing, as they're designed to be as realistic as possible, with genuine photos - that have been stolen from elsewhere - and extensive descriptions. As with anything, if the price is too good to be true, it probably is.
Although Airbnb accomodation can be cheap, fake listings will usually be below other prices for similar accomodation in the area.
- If a host is too keen, too pushy, or offering big discounts, be wary.
- Check the photos to see how professional they look. Most hosts won't use a professional photographer and will take the images themselves, but if the picture has an “Airbnb.com verified photo” watermark in the top right corner of the photographs it means that one of the firm's professional photographers has been to the listing and taken the pics themselves
- Always read the reviews on a listing - if they're at all negative or suspiscious, avoid
- If a host asks you to discuss payment over personal email or pay outside of the Airbnb website, report the host to Airbnb immediately.
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