In the last decade, Airbnb has burst onto the travel scene and in many ways revolutionised tourism as we knew it. Soulless and boisterous hotels? Nah, now we’ve got places that we can (and want to) call our own!
Not only is an Airbnb apartment often cheaper than a hotel room, but it also allows you to save even extra cash by using the kitchen and all the other amenities (further cementing the true local experience).
Over the last 5 years, I’ve rented Airbnbs all across the world and stayed in some truly awesome and unique properties. But there is also a darker side to it…
The “Airbnb effect” on city housing markets forces long-standing tenants out of their homes, in exchange for short-term tourists that are much more profitable to landlords. And besides the housing shortages and inflated rents, there is an ever-increasing number of Airbnb scams that target unsuspecting guests.
In this post, I’m going to run you through a few of the most common Airbnb scams and teach you how you can protect your ass from them during your next vacation rental.

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Is Airbnb Safe?
Before we get started, I want to make something very clear. For the most part, Airbnb’s platform is safe. And a damn good one! Here at the Broke Backpacker, we must’ve spent thousands of nights at Airbnbs between all of us — and with very few issues.

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However, there are still some characters trying to game the system and manipulate the platform for their own good, and we do have a duty to inform you. Whilst the travel scams we describe in this post are relatively rare, they do still occur.
But worry not, dear reader! Stay alert, follow our advice, and you’re sure to have an amazing Airbnb Experience. Let’s get this started.
1. The Airbnb Property Switch
This is quite possibly the most common Airbnb scam and is one that I have actually experienced first-hand. In some cases, this is also the most benign of the scams and in other cases, can be no more than an honest mistake.
This is how it goes: you find an Airbnb rental, you like it, you book it. But once you arrive at the address… you’re greeted by the host (or their representative), who tells you the property is no longer available.
They may say that it was damaged by the last guest, they may say the plumbing is broken or they may simply call for a double booking.

Now they offer you a different place. In a lot of cases we’ve heard about, they end up being similar and quite nearby. But in others, you could potentially end up in a shittier place in a completely different part of town. In essence, it’s a fake Airbnb listing.
If Airbnb hosts are genuine, they will tell you about the situation before you arrive and give you the chance to consider your options. If they wait for you to arrive before springing this on you, then it is almost definitely a scam — they are counting on you to be tired and agreeable.
What Should You Do?
This one was pulled on me while traveling in Delhi (the spiritual home of the original hotel swap scam). The guest house had this one really nice and photogenic room which they repeatedly listed to attract visitors before sending them to inferior rooms.
Whilst I was pissed off with the audacity of the owner, we let it slide as the room they offered us was fine — we were only staying for 12 hours anyway. Note that if you do agree to the swap, you pretty much lose all rights of redress.
If the host offers you a partial refund for the lesser quality room, get them to arrange this through the app BEFORE you take it — verbal agreements don’t mean shit in the online world.
If you find the situation completely unacceptable, contact Airbnb immediately. They have a dedicated customer support team on both the desktop site and the Airbnb app for situations like this who provide 24-hour assistance.
P.S – I heard about this one case where the host blatantly denied that the property a guest got was not the one they had booked. Despite the guest showing evidence that it was a clearly different house to the one in the pictures, the host maintained the Trumpian, ‘let’s deny bare-faced reality’, post-truth approach!
2. The Fake Images Scam
Another Airbnb scam that’s as old as the internet is the classic “fake images” scam. This is when a host will put up fake or doctored images that make the property seem SIGNIFICANTLY nicer than it is in reality.
Unfortunately, this is a common scheme and can play out in many different ways. Some of these scammers do post photos of the actual property and edit them to high heaven–essentially creating fake listings–while others will use pics of a completely different property… which you’ll only realize when you arrive with no other options.

These days, the former is more common, especially with all the varied and easy-to-use editing software out there. Camera-savvy hosts can also take things up a notch by using strange angles, photoshopped amenities, and views that definitely do not exist. Scammers may also use super old photos that show the property in its prime, but then you’ll discover the present-day reality is severely disintegrated.
What Should You Do?
Reviews, reviews, reviews! Always look for things such as “the home was exactly like the photos” or other positive comments that indicate an ideal match between the listing’s photos and reality. You can also use the search bar within the reviews for keywords like “photos” “images” or “accurate.”
To catch a scammer using completely fake photos, try a reverse Google image search to see if the too good to be true property is really a bunch of stock photos.
3. The “Pay Me Outside Airbnb” Scam
When you book an Airbnb, you pay on the platform and nowhere else. Your money actually goes to Airbnb who then holds it in abeyance and releases it to the host (minus fees) later. This keeps you protected from cancellations or other issues that may occur.
One relatively common scheme consists of hosts trying to get guests to pay them directly, either through Paypal, bank transfers, and in a few odd cases, in Bitcoin — hold your cryptocurrency, keep it away from shady hosts.

Image: Nic Hilditch-Short
Sometimes, hosts are simply trying to bypass Airbnb and avoid the hefty fees, but in other cases, it is outright foul play. There are stories of guests paying $500 over Paypal just to find out that the property was occupied — by the rightful owner who had no idea it was listed on Airbnb! Ouch.
If you do pay outside of Airbnb, they cannot and will not help you with any problems you have. If you arrive to find the property not as described, or dirty or double booked, you’re on your own.
One common variation on this theme is far less sinister but still potentially problematic. On multiple occasions, I’ve asked to extend my booking on the spot, and the host usually agrees (provided they don’t have any other guests). But they will often ask for cash rather than formalize it through Airbnb. Why? Again: fees. And possibly taxes, too. So…
What Should You Do?
When making an online Airbnb booking, pay through the platform in all cases. Never, under any circumstances, send payments outside of Airbnb. Also–be wary of a fraudulent host that asks you for a security deposit. This is just NOT a thing on the platform.
As for the second scenario, once you arrive at the property, it is up to you whether you pay for any extra nights in cash or through Airbnb. If the host offers to share the savings with you in the form of a cash discount, I can understand the temptation. But if they don’t… then fuck them.
If you pay in cash, just bear in mind that if anything goes wrong, Airbnb will not assist you as your booking will technically have ended and the extension is now a private matter between you and the host.
Of course, you also need to ask yourself whether you want to enable potential tax avoidance…
4. The “We Got A Better Offer Scam”
Have you ever had an Airbnb host cancel on you? There are many reasons why a host would need to cancel. And while most might be for good reason, others are so cynical that they’re just an outright Airbnb scam in our eyes.

The scam works like this: they list a property as available for X amount of money and you book it well in advance. Unbeknown to you, they then re-list the property for the same dates and for a higher amount.
If somebody else books it, they’ll cancel your booking and leave you scrambling around looking for something else last minute.
Obviously, they won’t really give you a justification on this — and we only found out about it after some investigation. Strictly speaking, they shouldn’t be able to list a property on Airbnb twice and yet it happens rather a bloody lot. In other cases, they will also list it on a few other Airbnb alternatives.
What Should You Do?
Sadly, there isn’t a lot you can do here. Airbnb is very slack about this one and their policy allows hosts to cancel 3 times a year with neither reason nor inquiry. Go figure!
5. Fake Airbnb Damages
None of us at The Broke Backpacker have ever experienced this one directly, but we know some of you have.
If you’ve ever bothered to read Airbnb’s fine print during the booking process, you’ve seen that you are potentially liable for any damage caused to the property. This is designed to protect hosts from bad guests, and they bill it right to your card.
Unfortunately, this is sometimes abused by hosts who claim fake damages and try to get an extra charge out of you.

Some real-life examples from Airbnb users: One guest was stung with a $50 charge for a broken kettle which had actually been broken before she arrived. The host even apologized for it at check-in! Another billed $2,000 for carpet cleaning after alleging the guest spilled red wine in it (he stated his religion forbade him from drinking alcohol).
A twist on this Airbnb scam is overcharging for legitimate damages. I once lost a key to an Airbnb in Svalbard and was “happy” to pay the $20 replacement fee — ‘guess backpacking Norway ain’t never cheap anyway.
Had they put in a bill for $100, I would have been less impressed. Because even though Airbnb puts the onus on hosts to prove damage costs, this doesn’t stop them from getting fake invoices through their connections.
What Should You Do?
If anything is broken or damaged when you arrive, make a note for, take photos and message the host straight away.
If, however, you’re stung with a completely fabricated claim, then your only recourse is to dispute it vehemently through the resolution center. At this stage, it becomes a bit of a “he said/she said” game.
The good news is that Airbnb does have a tendency to side with guests over hosts, and may even stand disputed damages themselves to avoid bigger trouble on their side.
6. The Charging For “Extras” Scam
Sometimes, Airbnb scams can be as simple (and ridiculed) as this. Ready?
Let’s say you book an Airbnb with a kitchen. You would assume there will be plates and knives for you to use in said kitchen, right? WRONG.
Some weirder stories we’ve heard had guests arriving at check-in, and being advised that kitchen utensils can be rented for an additional fee, to be paid in cash. And even charges for toilet rolls at check-out!

This goes as far as charges for bed linen replacement, and a bunch of things that in no way make sense with Airbnb’s policy.
What Should You Do?
You should simply refuse to pay and insist that the host gives you everything you need. If a kitchen is listed on the property, then you shouldn’t have to pay for something that’s already there.
And the same goes for any amenities that are already in the house, like toilet paper. They’re meant for you to use! Unless you happen to have a particularly shitty arse, in which case you should cover any extras you buy.
It may get tense, but stand your ground and remind them that Airbnb will NOT take this kindly. In almost all cases, it is desperate opportunism and will cave in pretty quickly.
Be sure to mention the situation in your review once you check out.

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Grab an eSIM!7. The Fake Airbnb Website Scam
This next one is nothing short of ingenious in its scope and ambition. And whilst still very worrying, it’s an extremely rare Airbnb scam.
There have been cases of users making bookings and paying (hefty) fees through fake Airbnb-looking websites. And don’t be fooled, these things do look alike.
When they realize that the property is not available (usually when they turn up), they angrily claim a refund via the real Airbnb.
“Sorry, but we can’t refund you because we don’t actually see that you made any booking…”
At this point, the victim realizes they have been scammed by a criminal mastermind and that they made the booking through a fake, clone site and made the payment through a phony terminal.

The rabbit hole goes even deeper….
From the anecdotal evidence out there, it seems that the scammers are trapping people via the REAL site. They advertise a property on Airbnb, the guest initiates contact, and somewhere along the chain of communication (in the Chat or Via email) the criminal slips in a link to the fake site.
What Should You Do?
This one is extremely hard to guard against.
You should always be skeptical on the internet. Keep an eye out for anything that looks odd (whether that’s a website URL or a cheeky little detail), and always use a VPN! You gotta stay safe online.
Airbnb usually plays hardball and refuses to help guests because they’re technically not responsible for these phishing scams. Victims may allege that the perpetrator snared them via the real site, so it is actually their business in the end. If this happened to you, I wholly recommend fighting all the way and taking legal advice.
That said, a good option is to make all online payments via Credit Card as they tend to offer the best level of fraud protection and may stand the costs without any question.
8. The Fake Reviews Scam
This next one is more annoying than anything and is NOT specific to Airbnb. These days, online customer reviews are paramount and it is next to impossible to sell anything that has less than 4 stars.
Does this mean that we’re living in the golden age of standards in consumable goods, customer service and hotel rentals? The standard is not that great, it’s just easy to game the system.

There are offices all over Asia (and in many other places) full of graduates who spend their days leaving fake reviews on Amazon, Google and pretty much anywhere they get told to.
The Airbnb scam pretty much consists of hosts getting fake, positive reviews to inflate their ratings. And while it might be harmless, it might still lead you to book an awful property due to excessively glowing reviews.
What Should You Do?
Look for properties that have lots of reviews and make sure the host’s profile is realistic. Try to analyze the way they sound and if they look authentic. Some hosts are so careless that they’ll simply copy and paste the same review over and over.
If a property has very few reviews, it may genuinely be new to Airbnb. In this case, the host might even address it in the description and give you a “new listing” discount (FYI: targeting new properties can be a great way to find cheap Airbnbs, though you do risk staying in the odd shit hole).
Whenever you leave an Airbnb review, be honest and frank. Don’t ever be intimidated or emotionally blackmailed by hosts into leaving them anything other than an honest review.
9. The Illegal Listings Scam
Once upon a time, Airbnb had virtually zero limitations. Anyone could have one in pretty much any city. Nowadays?
Not so much.

Many locales have banned Airbnbs or have put stringent restrictions on them, such as only allowing long-term stays. While most hosts are transparent about this, scammers will do everything they can to circumvent local laws.
This had led many travelers to arrive at their booking, only to be told their stay is illegal, leading to exorbitant fees for last-minute hotel bookings. And in the worst-case scenario–you might even find yourself stranded with every hotel in town booked up.
…yikes.
What Should You Do?
First up: read into local laws!
You can easily find everything you need to know about a city/neighborhood’s rules and regulations with just a bit of Googling. That makes this scam a bit harder to be victimized by with due diligence. Do keep in mind though that certain fees such as a local occupancy tax is NOT a scam and is actually mandated in many cities and countries.
Also: if you get a message from your host where they coerce you into telling a doorman or front desk that you’re “staying with a friend” or any other sketchy lie: run! There are plenty of legal Airbnbs to choose from, no need to get involved in shady BS.
10. The Hidden Cameras Scam
While this scam doesn’t have to do with booking an Airbnb, it’s certainly a very real and very disturbing scam. There are more and more horror stories of travelers showing up to their Airbnb and finding that everything is as it seems… until they discover a hidden camera.

Airbnb’s official policy states that cameras are allowed in common areas but ONLY if they’re fully disclosed beforehand so guests can make an informed booking decision.
But their policy deff doesn’t allow for secret cameras, and unfortunately, some particularly sick hosts have been known to place them in disturbing areas such as private rooms and bathrooms.
What Should You Do?
When you arrive at your Airbnb, get searching!
Check all outlets for any suspicious plugs that could be hiding a camera, particularly in your bedroom and bathroom. You can also shine a bright light on smoke detectors or other seemingly innocuous items to see if any tell-tale signs of a camera pop out.

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View on Osprey View on REIFinal Thoughts on Airbnb Scams
Over the last few years, the vacation rental site has been in the headlines quite a bit and received rather a lot of negative press on account of these episodes. You can find stories about Airbnb scams all over the web.
In 2019, Airbnb’s CEO stated that they planned to verify all listings, but at the time of writing, there doesn’t appear to be an update on this.
But where there’s a will, there’s a way. And scammers can be determined. This is a battle Airbnb will have to keep on fighting and keep on investing seriously in.
So, like we say, it always pays to travel with travel insurance that offers Vacation Rental Cover. The good people at Faye now offer this so hit them up for a quote. As for you: keep your eyes open, stay aware and keep traveling safely!
Updated November 2022 by Samantha Shea
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Airbnb has been all but completely taken over by scam artists. I’ve been using the app almost exclusively to find stays as i move around for work over nearly five years now. This last year i’ve encountered more scams than fair postings. Airbnb always sides with the scammers too. Let’s face it, they have more in common as they’re all in it for the money. If you don’t have a credit card with a generous dispute policy, you will definitely end up getting cheated out of possibly thousands of dollars just like myself and thousands of other users. Just look at the latest reviews on your app store. The trend is clear. Airbnb is dead to honest and altruistic users, both travelers and hosts. Avoid at all costs.
I got scammed yesterday in Trujillo, Peru. I usually (USED TO NOT ANY MORE) book places for one to three months. I have been screwed twice doing this.
The way the scam works is this. You show up at your rented property but no one ever shows up to give you the keys etc. When you cancel the reservation you get charged for the first month regardless of anything. Doesn’t matter you could never even check-in. I will never use AirBnB again
Can you explain anything about getting texts from Airbnb? I first received one in Spanish and then swapped to English. Said I had a booking from them, looked like so.
“[AIRBNB] Reminder: Reply to Mario’s inquiry. To maintain your response rate, reply in 17 hour.”
And a link from Airbnb, I didn’t click anything and simply responded to cancel.
Then I checked my Airbnb app and no such reservation existed. So it made me wonder because my phone was stolen on the subway abt a month ago, even though I disconnected and rerouted a lot of apps with new information, would it have been possible to still use my payment apps? Or is it simply a scam Artist who is trying my number, think the best would be to call AirBnb and figure that out.
Airbnb is able to text you in some instances, depending on your account settings. However you should only do transactions via your account official Airbnb account, on their platform. As like so many other businesses, Im sure there are Airbnb phone scams about as well.
Hi.
Booked to stay for a week in a lodge, the place had not been serviced and had no running water and the owner also called us to ask us to buy bedding on the way down from Scotland! I kid you not.
We took one look at the place and left. Airbnb said we are not due any money back of the 700quid that was paid! The host must have lied to them and said we cancelled or something. This was just over a week ago, don’t know what to do.
Hi Angela
I am sorry to hear this.
Did you call Airbnb before you left? Did you also make videos/take pictures to evidence the dire state of the place?
Aiden
Shit man I should have read this before , I m a victim of scam , I saw a rental add , the only mail id was provided I contacted the mail-id , the scam said she is out of country and have given place for Airbnb for rental so I need to transfer the money to them they will arrange viewing , she shared me the payment link which looked same as Airbnb I have used it before for a few trips the experience was good so I had no doubt about Airbnb , however I made the payment of deposit shit man my entire saving just to move in better and cheaper place ,the picture look so great , I fall for it I made payments , I was supposed to get call from.today no calls she is not replying then I check the link the link stop working now then I got fishy feeling and I called Airbnb customer service , gave them.the recipe I’d she said it is fraud 🙁 my 1500pounds my entire saving is gone ,
That sucks Kitty, always transact through the Airbnb platform. Its the best way to protect your self and the best chance of getting a refund if needs be.
I had a terrible scam experience with Airbnb! I rented a property that was filthy dirty and smelled like urine because it leaked waste water into the subfloor. The property was listed as a private host. I then found out that the private host owned a Property Manager Company with a Better Business Bureau alert out!!! It strongly cautioned against entering into a business agreement with this company. I unknowingly entered into a business agreement with them via Airbnb! After booking someone entered the chat, with no association to the listing, with a title beginning “Airbnb Property Manager”. I thought I was speaking with an Airbnb Local Partner. Imagine my surprise when I called Airbnb and found out I was speaking with an undisclosed 3rd party who is somehow allowed access to the chat at the discretion of the host.
As I was trying to understand how this could have happened, I began to investigate the host and the undisclosed third party. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the host, who is indicated as a private owner, see the image of the listing, worked for the company along with the undisclosed third party. The company has an alert out with the Better Business Bureau strongly cautioning against doing business with this company. I had no ability to use this information, as I unknowingly entered a business transaction with the company via the Airbnb site. The reviews are horrific, vindictive, unethical, and show no regard for the safety of the tenants. I informed Airbnb of this and said with this new information I did not feel safe entering the property. I have screen shots with the numerous chats with support trying to get to the bottom of this. Some Airbnb employees said they would issue the refund if they could, but they had to follow their policy. This is something I don’t understand, policy is not law, and policies are made to be changed if they do not work. Apparently, Airbnb does not agree with this assessment and has no regard for the safety of their guest or hosts. They contacted the host multiple times requesting a refund or at the very least a partial refund from the days not used, February 10th onwards. The host declined. If I canceled via the site I got no money, it could be relisted, and I had no grounds for a case with Airbnb. Airbnb has taken no action in the refund or removing the host or property.
I then tried to understand how it was possible that disreputable third companies can use Airbnb as a front and it fell within their policies. I was assured time and time again that the guest had violated no policies. Airbnb does not require any third-party disclosure and would not require a transparent listing of this host because there was nothing linking them on their platform. Despite the connection on all social media and the company’s website. I even offered to get them something official from a government organization. They feel no need to update or change their policies.
If there is nothing to hide, there is no reason why a host would not admit to an association with a company. Especially since it is Airbnb’s policy that the guest is responsible for investigating the host. How can a proper investigation be made if the co-hosts and third parties are not made available? This is circular logic.
I find this alarming, and this makes me fear for my physical safety. Airbnb has no safety measures in place for their hosts or guests until after an occurrence. All documented in photos.
Additionally, I received an email 3 days before my check out that my reservation had been cancelled due to my bank chargeback dispute. However, there has never been an acknowledgment of this or the offer to refund.
Eventually my credit card company reversed the charges.
Took a place in Bologna, Italy. It was the right apartment but the wall art, shelving, decor, kitchen amenities, desk and chair, nightstands had been stripped out. Nice dining chairs were replaced with blue metal folding chairs. Plus, unmentioned was that it was four flights up, no lift. We didn’t report it within 24 hrs, so they aren’t going to help us. BUT the real issue is that after I left a scathing review, they (a management company or somebody, we never met a host) took down the listing and replaced it, at a higher price no less! Same photos and description, but no reviews–except their own cherry picked reviews of their other apartments to show what good hosts they are. Not. That is a scam.
We recently got hit with the wrong address scam. We were given one address by the host and once we arrived (in the smoky mountains) the place was nowhere to be found. Contact the host and Airbnb to tell them one happened. After doing some digging, we found out that the home is in a different town with a different area code. We were immediately refunded.
Hi
I’m a new host on Airbnb and my 2nd booking seemed too good to be true, which got me thinking, it usually is. It was a fellow host looking to relocate existing guests, 6 people for 14 nights, if I could be flexible on the price, advertised at £300 pn I was willing to offer a discount for a longer term booking. When it came to arrange she wanted to pay me direct, outwith the website. Although I wasn’t parting with cash, I couldn’t help being suspicious ?
Is this common practice? Some kind of scam?
Hi Jennifer
It’s hard to say. It is common for hosts to want to do deals outside of Airbnb to save costs, but less common for guests so yes, that would send alarm bells!
Aiden