You're scrolling through listings in Rome. Everything is five hundred dollars a night until you see it—a sun-drenched penthouse with a view of the Colosseum for eighty bucks. Your heart jumps. You think you've won the travel lottery. But honestly? You’re probably about to get robbed.
Are there scammers on Airbnb? Absolutely.
It’s not just a "rare" thing anymore. While the platform has spent millions on security, the reality is that as the site grows, the criminals get smarter. They aren't just basement hackers; they are organized groups using high-res photos and psychological triggers to separate you from your rent money.
The Bait and Switch: A Classic for a Reason
This is the most common headache. You book a gorgeous apartment in SoHo. The photos show exposed brick and a rainfall shower. But when you land at JFK and text the host, they tell you the "pipes burst" or there was a "sudden electrical fire." They offer you a "comparable" place nearby.
It never is.
You end up in a cramped, dusty basement ten blocks away from where you wanted to be. Because you're tired and your luggage is heavy, you stay. By the time you realize you've been played, the "host" has already moved your money out of the platform's immediate reach. This happened to thousands of travelers in the "Midwest Mystery" scam reported by Vice News, where a single network of scammers managed nearly a hundred fake accounts across the US.
The trick here is the pressure. They know you're vulnerable when you’re standing on a sidewalk with a suitcase.
Why "Off-Platform" is the Kiss of Death
If a host ever—and I mean ever—asks you to pay via WhatsApp, Venmo, or a bank transfer to "save on fees," run. Just stop talking and report them.
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Scammers love moving the conversation away from Airbnb's ecosystem. Why? Because the moment you pay outside the app, Airbnb's "AirCover" protection evaporates. You have zero recourse. You can't file a claim. You can't get a refund. You’ve basically just handed a stranger a gift.
They’ll use excuses that sound almost reasonable. "The Airbnb payment system is glitching today," or "I give a 10% discount for direct wire transfers." Don't fall for it. The platform's 14.2% service fee is annoying, sure, but it's essentially an insurance policy against disappearing into the void.
The Ghost Listing Phenomenon
Sometimes the house doesn't even exist. Or, more accurately, the house exists, but the person "renting" it doesn't own it.
Scammers go to Zillow or Redfin, steal high-quality photos of a home currently for sale, and create a duplicate listing on Airbnb. They set the price just low enough to be a "steal" but not so low that it looks like a total fraud. They might even buy fake reviews to give the profile some "clout."
In 2023, there were high-profile cases in London where tourists showed up to actual residential homes only to find the confused owners inside, who had no idea their living room was being marketed to strangers online. It’s awkward. It’s frustrating. And it leaves you stranded in a foreign city at 10:00 PM.
How to Spot the Fakes Fast
There are some weirdly specific red flags you can look for if you’re suspicious:
- Reverse Image Search: Take one of the listing photos and drop it into Google Lens. If that "chic Paris studio" also appears as a "luxury condo in Tokyo" on a different site, you’re looking at a scam.
- The "New" Account Trap: We all have to start somewhere, but a host with zero reviews and a profile created "March 2026" who is listing a five-bedroom mansion is a massive red flag.
- Generic Communication: If their responses feel like a bot wrote them or if they refuse to answer specific questions about the neighborhood ("Where is the nearest coffee shop?"), be wary.
- The Review Gap: Look for a listing with fifty 5-star reviews that are all written within the same three-day window. That’s a bot farm at work.
The "Check-In" Phishing Scam
This one is devious. You’ve already booked. You’re excited. Then, a few days before your trip, you get a message that looks like it’s from Airbnb support. It tells you there's an issue with your identity verification and asks you to click a link to "re-upload" your credit card info or passport.
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The link takes you to a site that looks exactly like Airbnb. The colors are right. The fonts are right. But look at the URL. It’ll be something like airbnb-verification-security.com instead of airbnb.com.
If you enter your details, they don't just have your booking; they have your identity.
Local Laws and the "Illegal" Rental Scam
In cities like New York, New Orleans, or Florence, short-term rental laws are incredibly strict. Scammers exploit this. They’ll list an illegal apartment and then tell you to "be quiet in the hallway" and "tell the neighbors you're my cousin."
The risk? The building management or the city can shut the listing down mid-stay. You could be evicted by a marshal while you're out getting lunch. Always check if the listing has a registration number required by the local government. If they’re hiding from the law, they’ll definitely hide from you if something goes wrong.
Breaking Down the Review System
Don't just look at the star rating. Actually read the words.
Sometimes, a disgruntled guest will leave a 1-star review saying "This place is a scam," but the host will get it removed by claiming it violated some obscure policy. However, if you see a string of "The host canceled at the last minute" automated reviews, that’s a sign of a "churn and burn" operation. These hosts overbook multiple platforms and then cancel on the person who paid the least.
Actionable Steps to Protect Your Trip
You don't have to delete the app. You just have to be a bit of a cynic.
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First, verify the host. Look for the "Identity Verified" badge, but don't rely on it 100%. Aim for Superhosts whenever possible. They have a vested financial interest in not being a jerk because they lose that status if they cancel frequently or get reported.
Second, keep all communication inside the app. If a host says "Text me at this number," reply back within the Airbnb chat: "I prefer to keep our conversation here for my records." If they're legit, they won't mind. If they're a scammer, they'll get annoyed or ghost you. Good riddance.
Third, inspect the property immediately upon arrival. Check for cameras (yes, that’s another kind of scam/privacy violation) and ensure the amenities match the listing. If the place is a dump or significantly different, you have a 24-hour window to report it to Airbnb to get your money back under their rebooking assistance policy.
Don't wait. If you stay the night, it’s much harder to argue you deserve a full refund.
Lastly, trust your gut. If that Colosseum view feels too cheap, it is. The internet has removed the middleman, but it’s also removed the filter. You are your own travel agent now.
Next Steps for Your Security:
- Audit your current bookings: Open your upcoming trips and check the "Cancellation Policy." If it’s "Firm" or "Strict," double-check the host’s review history for any patterns of last-minute cancellations.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Go to your Airbnb account settings and turn this on. It prevents scammers from hijacking your own account to book fraudulent stays with your saved credit card.
- Perform a Reverse Image Search: If you have a high-stakes trip coming up (like a wedding or a long-awaited international vacation), take 30 seconds to run the main listing photo through Google Lens to ensure it isn't a stock photo or a stolen real estate image.