I need advise in identifying if the host is not a fraud

[Justin28]

I asked this person to provide me details of the location. Because I am seeking for a longer stay (more than 30 days). Is this how Airbnb works? Please advise. Below is one part of the conversations we had. Also, I received two pdf files of one which was a instructions for the security deposit and the other was an agreement between tenant and host.

"The apartment is empty at the moment and for security purposes i would not like to give to everyone the exact floor and unit number as i do not know all the people that contact me, please do not feel offended but i am just careful.
This is not a short term letting, so you can't pay me directly with a credit card.

In order to move things forward, the first step is to register the transaction with Airbnb, as a landlord I have been provided with a user name and password for this purpose.
 Once my request is processed, Airbnb will be in touch with you. After they explain you the whole process which is mainly what I told you in the previous emails, they will send you the agreements so that you can review them. Then, they will ask you to pay the deposit.
 Afterwards, Airbnb will assign an agent which will be available for the date you decide to view the apartment.
 When you meet the agent, he/she will have your contract and all paperwork. Provided that you decide to sign the contract, you can do it on the spot.

Airbnb will release the deposit to me after you move in. If you take a look over the attached Pdf files they have sent you there are all these details. Let me know if you can confirm the deposit today because i have someone else interested and i need to cancel our agreement thru Airbnb before i let someone else apply as a potential tenant."

[Clare0]

@Justin28 From what you have described, all this is bogus and you should flag the listing as a scam.  Be forewarned that ultimately this "host" will send you messages that look like they are from Airbnb, but they are not.  Also you will be asked to pay by wire transfer which is explicitly forbidden on Airbnb.  

Airbnb will not assign an "agent".  There is no such person.  

I'm sure the PDF this guy sent you are wire transfer instructions, right?

Please give me the listing URL (looks like this: www.airbnb.com/rooms/xxxxxxxxx) so I can make sure this listing is removed from Airbnb's website.  

Do not have any further conversation with this scammer!

[Justin28]

The host asks for some personal information listed as follows: First and Last name, address, phone number, email, and photo ID which I have provided. What will happen? Who can I contact? How can I prevent it? Please advise.

[Clare0]

@Justin28 Did you send money?  If so, try and contact your bank to see if the wire can be stopped.  Most of the time it's too late.  I hope you didn't.

Since you gave out personal information, I would quickly check your account notifications, email address, phone numbers etc.  Also be sure to check the box under Security to receive log in notifications.  This will alert you to any log ins made from a device you don't use.  AFTER you have done all this, change your Airbnb password. 

[Justin28]

I did not send the money. I was suspicious about the email I got from 'Airbnb'. But, I did provide information such as First and Last name, address, contact number, photo id, and email.

[Clare0]

@Justin28 I wanted to get my first message to you quickly so I made it kind of short.  

All reservations are paid by credit card, even long term stays.  You should read this: 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/209/why-should-i-pay-and-communicate-through-airbnb-directly

Did this listing have a picture which looked or said something similar to this?

This is the hallmark of a scam listing.  They want you to communicate off the Airbnb website so they can send you scam information by PDF and other means. 

I hope you didn't act on any instructions this scammer sent you and that my first message reached you in time. 

Again, please send me the listing number so I can make sure the listing is removed and no one falls victim to the scam. 

[Clare0]

Also, @Justin28, since you gave this person your email address, be forewarned that you probably will be getting phishing emails purportedly from Airbnb asking you to verify your login information.  Don't respond.  Airbnb will never send you these types of requests.  Read this article about how to know if an email is really from Airbnb: 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/971/how-do-i-know-if-an-email-is-really-from-airbnb

What does a phishing attempt look like?  Here's an example of one that was not sent by Airbnb: 

Looks like the real thing, right?  It's not.  

Be very careful, my friend!

[Clare0]

@Justin28 Here's another link you should read.  

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/199/what-should-i-do-if-someone-asks-me-to-pay-outside-of-the-ai...

Hope to hear from you soon!

[Paul0]

Hi @Justin28,

Let me break this down with my thoughts. @Clare0 is right with being careful but I'm not 100% sure this person is fraudulent. Whilst their terminology might be a little off at no point have they asked you to pay money OFF the platform.

Do you think English is the first language? That could explain the difference in translation and terminology etc.

Does this person have a good standing of reviews? Are the rolling and recent?

"The apartment is empty at the moment and for security purposes i would not like to give to everyone the exact floor and unit number as i do not know all the people that contact me, please do not feel offended but i am just careful."

This is 100% normal. No Host would or should provide their address to you at any point until you've confirmed a booking with them. Furthermore, if I was the Host I'd be wary of yourself given you have not verified any of your details... you don't even have a profile picture.

"This is not a short term letting, so you can't pay me directly with a credit card.

In order to move things forward, the first step is to register the transaction with Airbnb, as a landlord I have been provided with a user name and password for this purpose."

Whilst their language is not that clear they ARE telling you that a booking is required and that Airbnb handles this.

"Once my request is processed, Airbnb will be in touch with you. After they explain you the whole process which is mainly what I told you in the previous emails, they will send you the agreements so that you can review them. Then, they will ask you to pay the deposit.
 Afterwards, Airbnb will assign an agent which will be available for the date you decide to view the apartment.

When you meet the agent, he/she will have your contract and all paperwork. Provided that you decide to sign the contract, you can do it on the spot."

This process (and once again terminology) is a little irregular but not out of the realms of possibility. Some States / Countries may require you to sign a simple agreement given the length of your stay. They have simply sent you the necessary document to review... does it demand additional payments off of Airbnb? 

"Airbnb will release the deposit to me after you move in. If you take a look over the attached Pdf files they have sent you there are all these details. Let me know if you can confirm the deposit today because i have someone else interested and i need to cancel our agreement thru Airbnb before i let someone else apply as a potential tenant."

Once again, Airbnb release the deposit after you move in. The PDF files, I haven't seen them... could be fine.  The 'book now / someone else interested' can often be a reality for many busy Hosts although some Hosts also use it as a tactic to add time pressure to the situation.

First thing you should do is improve your own profile so Hosts will be willing to have you stay - particularly if it's your first time and you're looking for a longer stay.  

Also, make sure all your correspondence with Hosts stays on Airbnb's messaging system rather than using email... it may be a slight inconvenience but it will help Airbnb in understanding a situation quicker should one arise.

Anyways, I hope you find a place soon that suits your needs.

Cheers,

Paul

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[Clare0 · Accepted solution]

@Paul0 This is definitely a scam, no doubt about it and if you ever run accross this kind of discussion with a host run away as fast as you can.  You may think I'm being harsh and not tolerant of bad language, etc., but I've seen too many reports / complaints from scam victims reporting losses of $1,000's to these criminals.

Red Flags?

The Airbnb agent:  Many scammers use this terminology giving the impression that Airbnb will provide a person to assist with check in contracts, etc.  There is no such person.

Can't pay with a credit card?  Wrong.  Airbnb collects for Long Term Stays in the same manner as short term stays...through their secure payment system.  This is the lead up to paying off site.

Airbnb will be in touch to explain the process. Really?  Who might that be?  I can tell you.  Its the scammer with the wire transfer instructions. 

Advance deposit? Airbnb never collects a reservation deposit.  When a guest books an accommodation on Airbnb, the payment is confirmed instantly when the hosts accepts the reservation.  

All of what Justin mentioned is the lead up to this:

All looks like it might be from Airbnb, right?  Nope. It's all fake. Note the URL at the top.  Fake domain.  Chat? Yep, the scammers have even set up phony chat feature which lulls victims into thinking they are really dealing with Airbnb.  

Justin must have responded to the request to contact the host by direct email outside Airbnb's messaging system.  See the picture in my previous post.  That is the first mistake guests make.  Then the scammers go to work with all the PDF's  etc.  There is no way to send attachments through Airbnb's messaging. 

Moral of the story?  Never, ever, communicate off site and never, ever pay off site.  That's the only way to be protected from scams. 

It is heartbreaking to see the psychological and financial damage these scammers do to people and I've ready many stories. 

The scams are perpetrated by well organized, sophisticated crime syndicates that not only target Airbnb, but HomeAway and other vacation rental sites as well.  

Hope this educates you and perhaps other readers as well.  If I can prevent just one person from being scammed, I'm happy. 

Stay safe!

[Justin28]

Hi Clare,

I must say that you are right about communication outside of Airbnb. I am new to Airbnb and I was recommended by my aunt. She had experience with Airbnb. Scammers are so detail into imitating the logo and the email, even my aunt thought it was a legitamate person. I found her from other website as I have mentioned to Paul and she states that she will only deal through Airbnb. She asked me to provide her some personal information like first and last name, phone number, address, email, and photo ID, which I did provide. Her reason was that she can verify with Airbnb and that Airbnb would contact me and give me instructions to proceed. Again, I am not familiar with how Airbnb works at that time. She did mentioned Airbnb 'agents' will contact me. Now, I know that Airbnb does not have agents. I am worried about the informaton which I have provided and I am not sure if my identity is under jeapordy.

[Clare0]

@Justin28 I understand your concern about identity theft. I'm not really familiar about how that works and unfortunately can't give you any advice in that area except to suggest that you go on the internet on the subject and learn what you can do to protect yourself.  Actually I would be more concerned that these scammers will send you "phishing" emails since they now have your email address.  

Be on guard if you receive any emails purportedly from Airbnb that ask you for your Airbnb log in details. I believe I already sent you Airbnb's link on how to tell if an email is really from Airbnb, but in case you missed it, here it is again:

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/971/how-do-i-know-if-an-email-is-really-from-airbnb

What the scammers may attempt to do is use your Airbnb identity to set up phony listings whose purpose is to scam other users. 

If you receive anything that is suspicious, contact Airbnb and/or forward the suspect email to  report.phishing@airbnb.com.

All in all, I think you dodged a huge bullet and I'm happy for that.  Airbnb is totally secure so long as the website is used properly and all the safeguards, like communicating and paying through the website, are followed.  

I wish you all the best!

[Clare0]

Hi @Paul0, since you are an organizer in the Melbourne area, I thought I'd pass along this link that another Aussie sent me today.  It's so important to check the URL's!  Hopefully, when the occasion occurs, you can pass along this helpful information.

http://www.airbnbhell.com/airbnb-scammers-always-check-url/

Sound familiar with the "agent"?

[Justin28]

Hi Paul,

At first, I thought it was legitmate person. I got this contact from other website. This person states that she will only do transactions through Airbnb. However, when I got an email from "Airbnb", the content of the files were suspicious. There was a clause states that it is complied under the UK law. The property is in the US. I was given the wire transfer bank account information. I was curious enough to google map the address and the zip code. I found out the zip code given to me was another place. I replied her email, but she didn't reply. 

[Clare0]

Wow, @Justin28 sounds like you dodged a bullet!  Glad you intuition kicked in and you questioned what was going on!