Five Red Flags That Could Be an Airbnb Scam

If you’re traveling this holiday season, keep a sharp eye out for these Airbnb headaches

Americans are hitting the open road this holiday season, with an estimated 47% of U.S. adults traveling from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, according to PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

Many of those people will be staying at an Airbnb, as demand for short-term rentals jumped 24% in September over the same period in 2021. Travel analysts expect those numbers to rise through the holidays.

If you’re staying at a short-term rental anytime soon, data security experts advise staying alert when booking Airbnb  (ABNB) - Get Free Report stays.

“Rental property sites such as Airbnb have grown in popularity over recent years, with many people opting to book via these sites when planning their vacations,” said Travel Lens travel expert Blake Walsh. “However, with growing popularity comes growing risks, therefore, being prepared to spot any potential scams or fraudulent behavior can be crucial in keeping your personal information safe."

Scams occur more during the holiday season because fraudsters know that late November and all of December are times when people are traveling more and are desperate for good deals.

“I always tell my clients to be vigilant when they are booking Airbnb’s during the holiday season,” said Logos Travel founder Shane Mahoney. “If the price of pictures looks too good to be true, it’s usually too good to be true. For example, if you see a New York City penthouse listed for only $60 a night, then it’s most definitely a scam.”

Five Airbnb Scams That Can Separate You From Your Money

While all potential short-term rental scams are a threat, some are more threatening than others. Look out for these “headliner” risks when you plan your next Airbnb excursion.

Hosts pushing for external communication. Airbnb hosts including their personal email or phone number in the property description can be a sign of a scam, as most travel booking sites ban external exchanges, instead encouraging all communication and interactions to take place through the site.

“This is the same for payment, if the host is pushing you to pay using an alternative method to that of the booking site, this can be a sign of a scam as they are moving away from the secure, tracked method of the site,” Walsh said.

The “bait and switch”. Another serious Airbnb scam is the “bait and switch” using fake photos, and switching travelers to another Airbnb at the last minute.

“The classic bait and switch happens when a host lures guests with perfect fake photos, only for the guests to find out, later on, they’ve been lied to and the property looks nothing like the photos,” said Mahoney.

A host may even conjure up a wild lie at the last minute (usually on check-in day) to tell you that the advertised property is actually not available and they end up moving you to a much less desirable property.

“The property owners usually then refuse to credit or refund your booking fees on the basis that they were able to provide you with a suitable replacement,” Mahoney adds.

The external payment scam. Airbnb scammers will also try to get renters to pay outside of the Airbnb app, promising a lower rate.

“This allows scammers to get your credit or debit card info, charge you for a property they likely do not own or manage, and even make fraudulent charges on your card later on,” said Pixel Privacy consumer privacy champion specialist Chris Hauk.

Phishing scams. Email-based phishing scams are another hazard for Airbnb customer scammers.

“Here, the fraudster will craft emails claiming to be from Airbnb, but instead entice them to click malicious links that take them to fraudulent but legitimate appearing sites where they can be scammed out of personal and financial info, or even have malware installed on their devices,” Hauk added.

The deal is too good to be true. If the deal appears to be a steal, chances are that is the case – for the scam artist.

“Try reverse image searching the images used in the listing, as well as searching for reviews and evidence that the property is legitimate - you can do this by right-clicking on the image and selecting the option “search for an image with google lens”,” Walsh said. “However, if you’re unsure, it’s best to avoid the listing. Frankly, it’s better to pay a little bit more than to lose money and details to an Airbnb scam.”

Tips on Avoiding Airbnb Scams

Thankfully there are myriad ways to spot and avoid Airbnb fraud before it’s too late.

Photo check. Check all Airbnb photos carefully to see if they’re legit.

“Compare the photos you see with the price of the listing and where the listing is located,” Mahoney advises. “If the photos show a glamorous property in a centralized location and the price is dirt cheap, the listing is probably fake.”

Check the reviews. Are the Airbnb reviews all horrible or are they all stellar five-star reviews? Or, there are no reviews at all? Either way, it sounds fishy if the reviews are all good, bad, or non-existent.

“A legitimate listing would have mostly good reviews with a few complaints in there, but nothing too serious,” Mahoney noted. “What you’re looking for is honesty in the reviews - did the guests who left the review sound like they really stayed there?”

You can tell a lot from Airbnb reviews. “That’s why it’s always a good idea to skim the reviews section before deciding to book an Airbnb,” Mahoney added.

Make sure you only book through the Airbnb website. Did the host email you a private link and ask you to book a stay there? Or did the host ask you to send them money through Venmo?

“All these are serious red flags and you should never entertain them,” Mahoney said. “A legitimate host will use the Airbnb platform only for all booking inquiries and communication efforts.”

“If the website feels off to you, it’s probably fake so don’t share any personal information on it,” he added.