Scammed on AirBNB: The Steps You Should Take!

Michelle Wilson - August 24, 2020

A British couple traveling recently found out the hard way that sometimes an Airbnb listing isn’t all it was promised to be.

In the case of vacationers Ian and Denise Feltham, the Ibiza penthouse they rented for more than 9,600 pounds — the equivalent of nearly $12,000 — wasn’t even real. They told CNN* they grew concerned about their reservation before they even showed up but that no one at Airbnb did anything. Eventually they were issued a refund, and the listing was taken down.

Most Airbnb scams aren’t this expensive, or this elaborate, but they can still cost the customer more than they bargained for. We want to make sure something like this never happens to our dear readers, so let’s dive in.

What exactly is an Airbnb scam?

The main scam is when the host tricks you into booking their listing (giving them your hard-earned money) by using a fake listing or copying another host’s listing. Now again, some of these scams can vary. From a completely nonexistent property to not having a pool when the listing stated they had one. Either way, it ends up costing you money and ruins the vacation experience.

Other Common Airbnb Scams and Our Tips:

• 1. The money grabber

  1. You show interest with a property and send the host a message. The hosts messages you back asking to send payment outside of Airbnb, maybe they even offer you a discount. If you move forward and are disappointed with the property you aren’t included under Airbnb’s terms and therefore not protected and cannot get a refund.

     TIP: NEVER pay outside of the Airbnb platform

• 2. Charging for extra cleaning or damages that don’t exist

  1. This one is extremely frustrating. After ending your stay, refreshed and at ease, you received a complaint on Airbnb. The complaint says that you’ve damaged something in the home and need to compensate the host.

     TIP: Clean as much as you can before you leave, and take pictures documenting the property how you left it. Even better is to have some time stamped proof in the pictures, a newspaper would work.

• 3. The old “bait and switch”

  1. You book your property, and everything is fine. Then the property becomes unavailable for some irritating reason, and the hosts offers to put you up in one of their other properties. Turns out, the other property is awful compared to what you originally booked.

     TIP: Refuse their second option and make sure the hosts cancels. If YOU cancel, you will have to pay the cancelation fees.

• 4. Fraud sites

  1. When a fraudster spoofs an Airbnb site, or any other property renting site.

     TIP: Always check the URL that is in your browser to make sure it’s Airbnb.com.

Hosts can get taken advantage as well. Criminals can run scams such as:

• Offering to pay more by a check or money order, and having the host give them the rest of the balance in cash.
• Straight up stealing from the host
• Squatting and refusing to leave

How Can You Spot an Airbnb scam?

Sometimes going with your gut is the best way. But here are some other signs to look for:

• Listings with the host’s “personal” information

  • Airbnb actually bans direct contact to try and protect its users. If someone is encouraging you to chat outside the platform, stay away.

• URLs sent by email

  • As mentioned above, there are many criminals who try and spoof sites like Airbnb and they look real. Always double check the site that you’re on before purchasing.

• Stock images

  • Some things really are too good to be true. If the listing looks like a staged home or something from a photoshoot, do a reverse image search and see if those pictures anywhere else on the web.

• No reviews

  • This is a little tricky because it doesn’t always indicate a scam is happening. It’s also comforting to review what other guests said about the host or property before booking.

• Cash only

  • Any host that asks for payment outside of Airbnb is trying to swindle you. Legitimate hosts would never break the rules that way.

• A ton of listings under one host

  • Most hosts manage only a few listings. If you click on the host and it shows a huge amount of properties listed, be wary.

What else can you do if you’ve been scammed?

This is a tough one because Airbnb has a lot of restrictions in their terms, and it’s not like they’re a hotel that can just book you another room.

If you are a victim of fraud, document everything – conversations, photos, text messages, emails – and contact Airbnb immediately. The sooner you call, the sooner you can start to go through the process to get your money back. Contacting your bank or travel insurance company is also a good idea for extra back up.

Bottom Line?

Follow your gut, do your research, and keep documentation of everything. Safe Travels