With holiday time approaching, those planning to use sites like Airbnb should check that they are using the legitimate webpage before handing over money.
The warning follows a report from a member of the public to Scamwiseni about a fake ad on Airbnb.
The woman paid for the accommodation but in an elaborate scam, the pictures had been taken from another person’s account. Thankfully the lady reported it to Airbnb and has since been refunded.
ScamwiseNI has issued a few tips to help protect you on sites like this:
– Report any suspected fake listings to Airbnb. You may get the fastest response by phoning them directly.
– Never transfer money directly to the host. Always use the middleman (Airbnb).
– Check the URL before making a payment. Some scammers set up websites that mimic Airbnb, but are really just portals into their own bank account.
– Always make sure https:// is at the start of the URL shortlink, the ‘S’ means the site is encrypted and your personal data is protected. Also make sure the URL matches exactly. Watch out for close but improper spelling e.g. airbandb.
– If in doubt, use an Airbnb Superhost – Superhosts are experienced hosts and can be identified with a badge .
– If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.
– Ignore Airbnb emails asking you for money. If you get emails asking you to top up cash for any reason, ignore them or contact Airbnb directly to verify they are true.
– Never click on any links in an email or download any attachments. Some scammers make up fake listings and then contact you just to get your email address. They’ll then email you directly instead of communicating via Airbnb.