How to recognise the Airbnb scam that could ruin your holiday

Aussie travellers are losing thousands of dollars to online scammers posing as Airbnb hosts. Here’s how to recognise the warning signs.

Aussie travellers are falling victim to scammers posing as Airbnb hosts, with holiday-makers losing thousands of dollars to dodgy dealers.

The number of complaints about scams on Airbnb and other accommodation booking websites made to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission have tripled in the past year.

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The ACCC’s Scamwatch has received more than 150 reports about scams on sharing economy platforms this year, with $80,000 reported lost.

Here are a few warning signs you need to consider:

The deal seems to good to be true

One of the first telltale signs of a scam, according to ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard, is they offer “accommodation deals in great locations at cheap prices”. Sure, there are legitimate bargain deals available, but when coupled with other warning signs, you should start to smell a rat.

Don’t miss out on your dream holiday — beware of scammers on sites like Airbnb.

They want payment outside of the airbnb site

“When you go to book a break, scammers direct you away from the site and ask you to pay them directly using money orders or wire transfer services such as Western Union and MoneyGram. Some reports indicate that scammers create very convincing fake versions of the site which they can use to collect personal details and banking information,” Ms Rickard says.

Sites like Airbnb have secure payment systems and will never ask you to pay off-site.

You get a suspicious email

“Be aware that the scammers may send ‘confirmation’ emails which appear to be official, using a logo or email address that imitates the real thing. Never click on links in these emails and don’t reply to them. Double check that the URL, website or email address is correct and be aware that links may redirect you towards a fake address that looks similar to the legitimate site,” Ms Rickard says.

The Airbnb site warns users never to share their email address before a booking is accepted, and always carefully examine emails claiming to be from Airbnb — even emails have been known to have been sent from [e-mail] or other @airbnb.com email addresses.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU COME ACROSS A SCAM

1. Ignore any requests for payment

“Any request for payment to be made via a method other than through the approved payment methods stated on the actual site, should be ignored. If you are directed to pay for accommodation using a payment method outside the on-site payment system, check advice on the official site and report the post to that site,” Ms Rickard said.

2. Report it

If you are asked to pay for a reservation using methods other than Airbnb’s official payment methods or if someone sends you links to a fake version of the site, email [e-mail] and click the flag icon in your message thread with that person.

You can also report scams to the ACCC via the Scamwatch report a scam page.

Originally published as How to recognise the Airbnb scam that could ruin your holiday