Airbnb and STR Scams – Guest-side scams

This is part one of a two part series of posts on Airbnb and STR scams – Guest-side and Host-side scams. Find part two here. Technically there are three parties to most transactions in Short Term Rentals but to make things simple, I will just focus on guest-side and host-side. This first post serves as a reference for hosts to be informed and protect themselves from fraudersters masquerading as “guests”.

The STR market has generated significant new revenue in the last decade as the sharing economy has exploded. This should be an equal playing field between guests and hosts. However, whenever there is a growth in a market, there is a rise in scammers – or wannabe scammers. This is no exception in the sharing economy marketplaces of the large OTA’s like Airbnb, VRBO and Booking.com. 

It is sad that this exists but rather than lament on the weaknesses of humanity, it is best to be informed in order to protect ourselves as consumers and vendors.

Keep your eyes out for these current types of scams:

1. Contact privately – using Whatsapp or texting (The most common Airbnb Scam)

Basically this Airbnb or STR scam is to get hosts to communicate off the platform. Usually, with some convoluted story about a company will pay or they will pay by cash or whatever. Or that they want additional information or they want to inspect the listing before making a huge booking. I am sure the excuses are endless. But the following image shows the sorts of lengths a scammer will go to try to get around the number obfuscation algorithms.

I must have seen some variation of this attempted scam dozens of times over the last 12 months. Don’t waste your time with them.

If you see this sort of message: Decline, report and delete.

Basically there is little protection for hosts if you accept a booking from a stranger off a standard OTA platform. It is the internet – people can and do lie. So if you don’t know the person then only take bookings where there is a third party (such as Airbnb or VRBO) who can verify the identity.  

Sure it is tempting to try to avoid fees but the OTA isn’t just a big boogie man trying to take all your hard earned money. They have protection built into their services.

Once the scammer is talking with you privately, all the usual scams are in play. Conduct any private transactions with strangers on the internet at your own peril. 

This is different if you have your own platform that you can use to take direct bookings. You can build your own protections into this but I will save that post for another day.

2. The check is in the mail – over payment

This is a standard scam where the “guest” will get to you to agree to payment by check. They send you the check. But “oops” they make the check amount for too much and ask you to refund them the difference. You give them some money and then suddenly the check will not clear. You are out time and money.

Here is one saying that their “church” will pay by check.

Short advice – DO NOT accept payment by check no matter the sob story. It really is sad when people try this stuff on and try to play on the sympathies of kind hearted hosts who are really wanting to help people out. 

3. “I won’t stay but my company will pay” 

This seems to have gone away lately but it was fairly common last year when travel was more bouyant. The “guest” would say that their company would pay for the booking but that they would actually stay with a friend locally. Again, they ask you to refund them the difference in the booking by PayPal or another money transfer. The booking is most likely made using a stolen credit card. 

Again if you see this sort of message: Decline, report and delete.

4. Refunding Freeloaders

Guests know that the OTA’s like Airbnb will side with the guest if there are complaints about cleanliness or damage. 

I have heard reports from hosts that a wannabe freeloader guest has brought in cockroaches or other vermin in ziplock bags. Then use this as evidence to get a refund. So this is a pre-meditated grift – albeit not a very sophisticated one.

This is usually AFTER the stay has been completed or on check out day. Airbnb will give a full refund and the guest has had a free stay. 

I’m hoping that Airbnb can stamp this out fairly soon as it is really on the rise.

To avoid this, do your due diligence and get to know your guest before you allow a booking. Only accept bookings from people who are your Ideal Guest.

5. Damage payment refusals

There are a number of petty disputes that I read about all the time in the hosting communities. For example: A guest has smoked, caused damage or brought a pet. Guest has refused to accept responsibility and won’t pay. There are tons of examples and I don’t want to get into the weeds on this, but the short answer is:

• don’t accept guests who are not your ideal guest
• avoid dealing with people looking for discounts
• make sure you have great communication
• document everything

Accidents happen for sure and great guests will own up to this. Just keep the dialog open and professional. Getting emotional or into a dispute can be avoided.

But if you do have a legitimate claim of damage or smoking or heaven forbid a party, document everything, remain professional and unemotional and be tenacious with your OTA or insurance provider. 

6. Charge back from credit card

This is either when a fake credit card has been used by a fraudster taking a holiday at the cost of the true owner of the credit card, OR a guest has wanted to take a free holiday. They claim to the credit card to have the charges reversed as they say they didn’t actually take the trip. 

Keep all records to prove that somebody did stay and you can dispute a fraudulant claim.

7. Threats of bad reviews if don’t get a refund

Again, this is a fairly common Airbnb “scam”. Guest and host get into a dispute and then the guest threatens a bad review if you don’t refund no matter the circumstances. There are some people who make bookings with the intention of trying to get this refunded afterwards. This is similar to the cockroach grift.

Exchanging or extorting reviews for any sort of promise or threat is against the TOS of the OTA’s so make sure you keep an official record and/or message thread to prove your side. 

8. ESA – emotional support animals.

Not really a scam – more of a annoyance.

The airlines have been dealing with this issue for years. People claiming that their pets are registered ESA’s. Then demanding they are not discriminated against and need to have their animals with them at all times. But the truth is that these are simply pets.

I do not doubt that there are genuine needs for emotional support animals, however, guests have claimed their pet is an ESA. This means they can override a host’s no-pet policy and bring their animals. But there are tons of stories of these animals being left inside the house while the guest is out for the day. (Note a real ESA should remain with the owner 24/7.)

At the present moment, there is not much you can do about people claiming ESA and trying to get around your non-pet policy, but you can decline the booking by stating you are “uncomfortable with the guest” and not mention the animal.

This is a tricky situation as here are strict anti-discrimination policies in place for disabilities. If you do have damage caused by the animal, you can’t mention the cause – just that there is damage. 

This is an area that especially Airbnb need to tighten up as some people are really just taking advantage of this anti discrimination clause. This makes it difficult for people who really DO have a need for an ESA – folks with real PTSD. 

I totally understand that people want to travel with their pets – pets are like family. Just book a pet friendly place. There are more and more that are being listed. 

Side tip for for hosts – being pet friendly is a great way to earn additional income. Charge a deposit, and a fee that is less than a pet kennel hotel and everybody wins. Grateful guests get to travel with their pets, hosts are covered and you earn more money.

9. Parties – sob stories after natural disasters

This one really makes my blood boil. People making up stories to convince a host to allow for bookings against their normal terms – eg no local or no single night bookings. Then taking advantage of the kindness of the host and turning the house into a big party. I have heard stories of hosts allowing locals book a house after wildfires, hurricanes and saying they needed a safe and quiet place to rest after the stress of it all.

Worse case scenario: parties that result in a house being trashed, people being injured (or shot and killed) and then the host is left to deal with the aftermath, media and in some cases blamed.

10. Phishing scam – “my Booking can’t be found”

Sending a text message or an email to you directly saying they can’t find a booking that they are sure they have. But they ask you to click a link that looks like it “might” be from VRBO or Airbnb. Eg, dashboard-booking-request.com/VRBO-rental-reservation-HA-12345.  You have to look carefully, but this is NOT an official VRBO URL.

Like with all phishing scams, NEVER click on a link that you don’t know. You are opening up your computer or your phone to malware and hacking. Always log into your account from the main homepage. 

11. Sneaking extra people into the listing

This is where a security camera or a non-self checkin will protect you from people trying to sneak in a few extra folks to save themselves a couple of dollars. This is just lame and just some vigilance is required. People will try to cover up cameras to sneak in people or animals. Just stay on top of things and communicate professionally at all times.  

Final Thoughts

I will have the matching blog post on the types of swifties that “hosts” try to pull. Sadly, not every host is reputable either. 

I write this post mainly as a record of the things that hosts need to watch out for when it comes to Airbnb Scams. However, don’t take this as the standard behaviour and lose your faith in humanity. It is a very very small percentage of guests but they are the stories that get told and shared around hosting communities.

Keep an open mind with each inquiry and before you accept a booking, make sure the guest is your ideal guest. Just accepting anybody or discounting as you are desperate given the slow times is really just asking for trouble. 

Reach out if you want any more information on this. Or if you think somebody is trying to scam you, drop me an email and I will give you some feedback. 

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