You find an amazing rental on AirBNB.com that you’re about to book. Suddenly you get an email from the host and you begin exchanging information regarding the rental via email. The host emails you with directions to confirm the rental by paying via bank/wire transfer. Seems legit, being that you started the communication from the AirBNB website. You transfer money to the host and all of a sudden you don’t hear from them.
Airbnb will never ask you to pay off-site or through email. If someone messages you on Airbnb and asks you to contact them off-site to arrange payment details, don’t respond, report it to us instead.
– AirBNB.com
These types of AirBNB scams happen all the time. Many times someone will receive what looks to be a legitimate email from AirBNB. However, may of these emails are phishing scams that trick you into entering confidential information or bring you to a fraudulent website where they attempt to take payment from you.
Those looking for a good AirBNB deal should know to:
NEVER contact a host outside of AirBNB’s website
NEVER submit confidential or payments on a website that is not AirBNB.com
If you have been a victim of such a scam, please submit your story here.
If you need more information regarding AirBNB policies and procedures, please click here.
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