AirBNB
Complaint 283428 Details

We were interested in a Chalet advertised on Airbnb. Over the Airbnb site we indicated our interest to the host. The host indicated his email address was on the Airbnb site. We communicated and came to an agreement. The host suggested for us to book on the Airbnb site. Unknown to us he also communicated from an Airbnb address. This communication intertwined with real Airbnb information. The fake Airbnb sent an information mail that looked like coming from Airbnb. In it is claimed that due to credit card fraud Airbnb no longer accepts credit cards due to fraud. Instead the transfer is bank to bank to an Airbnb ltd account at Barclays in the UK. The host suggest to book on the Airbnb site. You receive an emailed confirmation which later turns out to be a fake. It comes from an Airbnb account with Airbnb logos. The host forwards the same Airbnb confirmation. In the confirmation it states to do a bank to bank transfer to the Barclays account in the name of Airbnb. As you get it from Airbnb and forwarded from the host and you are not aware that the two are the same, you fall for the trap. You transfer the money and the scam is complete, the money gone and the holiday ruined. As already mentioned on your site Airbnb is very uncooperative as they claim the fraud is not on their site. In our case however they removed the host during the fraud process (as stated by them as other users complained about the host) however they FAILED to inform their customers (who me they knew had records of as having contact with the fraudulent host) of the fraud thus enabling the fraud to continue. After having been defrauded this way. I traced back what had happened. In the prices of my web search I found a similar suspicious looking host (under another name) on the Airbnb website. I engaged and the same scale started to unfold. This time I did not go to the Airbnb site as suggested by the host but still received the confirmation mail (turns out there is an email in the scam trail where the host asks name, family name, kids, adults, address and period of wanting to rent all this info is used to create a bogus confirmation). To my great surprise the fraudulent host asks me to send money to the same Airbnb account.

I informed Airbnb that fraud was still happening on their site. I gave them all details (and have this documented). It takes them 12 hours to take action. Again they do NOT inform any of the Airbnb customers of which they have records of engagement with the fraudulent host of the (suspicion) of fraud thus facilitating the continuation of the fraud.

Barclays is stating that they cannot guarantee the return of the money (as also stated on your site). Despite the fact that Barclays has numerous reported cases of fake Airbnb Inc, Airteam and Airbnb Ltd named accounts over at least the last 9 months. A bank to bank transfer or an account opened in the name of Airbnb ltd still does not set off alarm bells on their side.

Key issues.

Airbnb has fraudulent hosts embedded on their website
I am able to find these hosts. Airbnb (even with the benefit of digital information from their site) is not or does not care.
Somebody is impersonating Airbnb, has an .....Airbnb.com email account, uses Airbnb logos and visual property and has an Airbnb ltd named account at Barclays in the UK. Airbnb seems not interested (or is already aware) of this impersonation. Does not enter into an offer to share this information to make the site safer for their customers. Does not clearly advertise this warning to their customers (they refer to a number 199 in their Q&A
Airbnb customer service is evasive. Keeps referring to the "off site" of the transaction. Does not answer questions on why and when the fraudulent host was removed or why no action was taken for 12 hours on a second scammer. When faced with possible action they warn with the terms on their website.

Barclays is still accepting bank to bank payments into an Airbnb named account with Airbnb as the recipient. This despite documented Airbnb named scams within the Barclays UK banking system. At this stage unable to return the money.