Fraud bookings

[Anastassiya1]

Dear Airbnb Hosts, 

I’m writing to find out if you have ever received such requests for the bookings and if you ever followed the link provided ?

i suspect this is fraud message, just wanted to make sure I don’t miss anything.

Thank you for the advice. 
regards, 

Anastassiya

Hi Dear Host

I am looking to book your beautiful place for 5 nights. There is a problem cause i found the similar place with same pictures and description posted by another person. Please check and let me know.

Below you have the same property:
bit.ly/1Habnb?www.airbnb.com/rooms/1957141?check_in2019-10-22check_out2019-10-27-source_impression_id-p3-1w8da9LA-... http://airbnb.com

Regards,

[Elena87]

@Anastassiya1 

It is a fraud - usually the link is an attempt to get you very interested and to log in to your airbnb account on a lookalike site, so your sign in details can be compromised.

Big giveaway is 'Hi dear host' - someone is too lazy to insert your name in to the cut and paste message.

[Alon1]

@Elena87 

re. 'Big giveaway'

I don't agree because I get quite a lot of enquiries not specifically addressed to me.

It's quite normal by those sending generic enquiry to various hosts.

Thus I find only after I reply addressing the enquirer by name, if they are still interested, they tend to then reply to me in name... though not always, and in those cases, if they book, then not till after they complete a booking.

The real giveaway here is the message from the fraudster:

 'There is a problem cause i found the similar place with same pictures and description posted by another person. Please check and let me know.....'

The giveaway is plain to behold given the link given is also purportedly Airbnb.

Why would a Host believe Airbnb have a duplicate site?

Of course not, it must be fraud.

[Helen3]

Hi @Anastassiya1 

Sadly this is a common scam. Thanks for flagging it to the community.

Please report this to airbnb.

Well done for spotting it.

@Alon1  just because the scam is 'plain to behold' to you doesn't mean it is to other hosts. So please if you are going to reply can you have a little empathy for your fellow host.

[Alon1]

@Helen3 

Please note my response was exclusively to Elena! 

   Elena, clearly thought this scam was just as transparent as me, only we beg to differ on the point of transparency. 

Moreover, Elena is an experienced host and frequently comments on fraudulent activity. 

Consequently, since I had nothing to say to the poster of this thread, there was no question of me being 'empathetic' or anything else. 

In short, it seems to me you've got the wrong end of the stick. And I really don't want to be lectured by you.

[Sarah977]

@Anastassiya1  The bottom line is that one should never click on any link, whether it is related to a guest message on Airbnb, or anything else, unless you have a way of being certain that it's legitimate. Clicking on links is how people get computer viruses or their personal information compromised.