Airbnb Red Flags: How To Avoid Getting Scammed

When it first arrived on the scene, Airbnb seemed like nothing but a gift to travelers, promising inexpensive alternatives to people looking for places to stay. But as time has passed, it’s become more apparent that renting out someone’s home instead of a hotel room comes with unique challenges. Airbnb scams have become quite common, making it tricky to know if you’re looking at a good deal for lodging or if someone is trying to take you for a ride.

But what are the most common Airbnb scams, and how can you avoid them? Here, we’ll take a look at some of the ways shady Airbnb hosts might be looking to take advantage of travelers and how you can spot their tricks.

Fake Listings

One of the more common Airbnb scams involves scammers setting up fake listings to trick people into paying for a rental property that doesn’t actually exist. Often, they steal images and addresses from legitimate properties to make their fake listing seem as authentic as possible.

The best way to avoid renting out a fake listing is to do your due diligence. Read through multiple reviews and make sure they seem to match up with the property you’re looking at. If, at any point, the listing directs you to contact the host outside of the Airbnb infrastructure, someone is likely trying to scam you.

Theft and Damage Scams

Sometimes, the scam doesn’t start until after your stay. In some cases, Airbnb hosts have been known to report false claims for theft and damages, claiming their guests left the property in a state of disrepair and disarray. The best way to combat this scam is to take pictures of everything when you arrive and leave your rental property, so you have evidence against any false claims.

Phishing

Renting an Airbnb requires a lot of personal and financial information, making these transactionsideal for anyone looking to pull off anold-fashioned phishing scam. Phishing, aka the practice of posing as a trusted source to get people to send you their personal information willingly, has been a problem since the invention of the internet. By pretending to be affiliated with Airbnb, scammers can send out emails and messages containing links to fake websites that will record and steal any info you enter.

Standard internet safety best practices will help keep you safe from phishing. Ensure your email is set up to filter out spam, keep an eye out for messages from senders you don’t recognize and never click on links that look suspicious or come from an untrustworthy source.

False Advertising

Airbnb is a crowded marketplace; some hosts will do whatever it takes to stand out. Some will post fake reviews on their own listing to drum up interest or use doctored photos to make their property look more appealing.

The good news is you’ll be able to tell if an Airbnb host has been around for a while and people have found them trustworthy in the past by looking at their profile. But if a host’s profile is new and doesn’t offer much information, you may need to do some extra digging on your own before signing up to rent their space.

The post Airbnb Red Flags: How To Avoid Getting Scammed appeared first on Family Handyman.

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