Tips on how to avoid an Airbnb scam

• Published date: 20 April 2024
• Author: Sarene Kloren
• Publication title: Saturday Star

As the summer season winds down, many South Africans are looking for cheap deals on last-minute holidays

Airbnb is a popular option for people trying to find suitable and affordable accommodation for a trip away.

However, the growing popularity of online booking sites is often accompanied by growing risks, therefore, knowing how to spot the warning signs of a scam is crucial.

Between 2015 and 2020, there were more than 28 000 complaints on Twitter about scams on Airbnb, according to a 2021 report from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the University of Colorado School of Public Affairs in Colorado Springs.

Of those complaints, 41% related to multiple listings, 26% claimed rentals weren’t as described, and 20% related to an account being hacked.

With this in mind, we reveal 5 ways to spot an Airbnb scam, so you’re prepared for your next trip.

• Hosts including their personal email or phone number in the property description can be a sign of a scam. Most booking sites ban external exchanges, instead encouraging all communication and interactions to take place through the site.

• If the host is pushing you to pay externally to the booking site, this can be a sign of a scam as they are moving away from the secure, tracked method of the site.

• Fraudsters may send fake Airbnb links via email requesting you to input your data in order to receive the best deals or secure a booking. Avoid clicking on the link, instead, go straight to the official website and log in via the secure system. If you do choose to follow the link, double-check the URL to ensure it’s leading to the official site.

• If the deal appears too good to be true, chances are, it is. Try reverse image searching images used in the...