Ready to jet-set to a place in the sun?
If you’re looking to book a holiday in 2022, the last thing you want is to fall prey to a scam and lose your hard-earned cash. From nasty Airbnb scams in London to fake property listings for villas all over Europe, it’s a murky, murky world out there.
So, before you click ‘Reserve’ and get packing, you need to make sure that the property you’re booking is 100% legit. Within this guide, we will take a look at some of the most common Airbnb scams and how you can protect yourself from them.
1. The Unavailable Property Scam
Picture the scene: You’ve just travelled for hours to get to your destination. You’re exhausted. So you’ve looked up the address of your Airbnb on the app and you’re en route. Soon, you think to yourself, you will be resting in a comfortable bed.
However, when you arrive at your destinatination, something’s amiss. Either the host or a “rep” meets you outside and breaks some bad news.
There’s something wrong with the property. Perhaps there was a flood or the last guests broke the shower. Whatever the reason—*ahem* excuse—the property is unavailable.
Luckily, the host tells you, they have another property down the road that you can switch to at no extra charge. Of course, when you get to the property it’s likely to be shoddy compared to your original booking. Chances are, the OG property was never available.
How to Avoid this Scam:
This is one of the most common Airbnb scams. It works because guests are tired by the time they reach a property, so don’t have the energy or will to argue with the host.
There are two ways to deal with this one. First of all, you can ask for a discount since you’re not getting the property you booked. Be sure to get money back through the app.
No way you’re staying in the new property? It’s worth reaching out to the support team that is available 24/7 to help you deal with this type of scenario.
2. The ‘Cash in Hand’ Scam
One of the things that makes Airbnb so convenient is the fact that you can do everything via the app. You search for a property, reserve it, and pay at the tap of a screen.
It goes without saying that alarm bells should start ringing in your head if the host contacts you and asks you to pay in cash. Chances are, they will tell you that you can cancel your booking through the site and instead book directly with them. Sounds good, right?
While it may be that your host is simply trying to avoid the Airbnb fees, choosing this option gives you no security. If you turn up, pay, and realise the property is occupied or doesn’t exist, there won’t be any help available for you.
How to Avoid this Scam:
The simplest way to avoid this scam is to avoid any host who suggests you pay in cash. If you start getting dodgy messages from a host, you can report them directly to Airbnb.
3. The Super Low Rate Scam
Think you’ve just found yourself a penthouse apartment for pennies? Think again. As the age-old saying goes, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Fake listings are some of the most common Airbnb scams. Scammers will use beautiful pictures of properties and offer them at a low rate. Often enough, these are the same individuals who will ask you for a money transfer outside of the app and then ghost you.
How to Avoid this Scam:
First of all, you might want to do a reverse image search on Google (a la Catfish) and see what you find. You may discover that the pictures of the property are used on multiple sites or—worse still—that the property isn’t even in the location you’re looking at.
You should also check to see whether the property has any previous reviews. If no one has reviewed the place yet, you might want to steer clear of it. Oh, and if you think that a certain listing is a scam, do other Airbnb users a favour and report it pronto.
4. The Email URL Scam
Beware of phishing scams. If a so-called Airbnb host contacts you via email and includes a URL to their listing, you might want to double-check it. Scammers set up imitation Airbnb websites and use them to collect your private details and—shocker—steal from you.
You may get an email from a host asking you to log in to your account using the link they have provided. However, there may be no way of knowing whether that link is legitimate. While the site it takes you to may look hunky dory, it could be a completely fake page.
The price of falling for this scam could be high. Last year, Metro.co.uk reported that one woman had lost £3,000 on an Airbnb scam when booking a villa for her group in Ibiza.
How to Avoid this Scam:
First things first, when you get a sketchy email, don’t click the link. If the host is asking you to log into your account, you can do so by going to the legit Airbnb website. So long as they are being genuine, you should be able to find all the details that you need there.
The Takeaway!
Airbnb scams are rife, and so it’s worth being extra vigilant when making your booking. Now that you know about some of the most frequent scams, make sure that you look out for the warning signs and avoid them at all costs. Happy travelling!
