Wire transfer requests are often a clue you are dealing with a fraudster
QI WANTED to use Airbnb to book an Ibiza holiday but ended up losing £1,579 to a fraudster.
Via theAirbnb website I found a property with an Airbnb verified host, who asked directly for my details. I was sent a confirmation from an address which appeared to be Airbnb. This told me to log into my account and confirm the reservation, which I did. This then led me to a payment invoice screen with Airbnb headings and information which I assumed to be legitimate. I paid via wire transfer.
Two days later, airbnb’s trust and safety team emailed to flag up suspicions because the host had asked for a direct email. The first person I spoke to assured me my money would be returned so I felt safe, but a second employee said it would not be, as a wire transfer is a red alert. By the time Airbnb told me to reverse the transfer, it was too late. I have got nowhere with Airbnb. Name and address supplied
AYOUR complaint is one of many concerning lettings website Airbnb, which is popular, if controversial in some cities.
Successful websites with sizeable transactions are a magnet for fraudsters.
Airbnb does not discuss individual cases although it says: ”We have removed these hosts and listings from the platform. We are in contact with the users and providing our support.”
In your case, it concedes that: “it seems our defences missed the (false) email address in the message thread. We scan for this, but clearly this example got through and we are reviewing how that happened.”
What seems to unite all complaints is that victims strayed outside Airbnb’s own website, understandable as you seek to finalise your holiday. The website has several warnings – in particular never deal with anyone directly, no matter what they say.
Airbnb says: ”Our team is working hard to constantly strengthen our defences and stay ahead of fraudsters. We’ve introduced new security tools to help tackle fake listings, and added more warnings. The most important thing is as long as you stay on the airbnb.com platform and only send money through Airbnb, you will always be protected. Bad experiences are extremely rare.”
Airbnb only releases money to property owners 24 hours after you move into the property.
Wiring money is always wrong. Using a credit card on the genuine site gives a double safety layer.