Tag Archives: scammers

Bad Hosts and Cutting Property Owners Out

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I own a property in a villa complex which was hosted by a third party. The same person hosted a property adjacent to mine. This host has been using the two villas for approximately 4 years.

It came to my attention late last year that the host embezzled approximately $2500 from my villa rentals. I confronted the host and after threats of legal action the money was returned. A short time after that the host and I parted company, for obvious reasons. Soon after, I discovered that the other villa being hosted was delisted, without notice or consultation, and all the reviews, bookings, some photographs and narrative were diverted onto my listing. Consequently, I had no listing and all relevant data pertaining to my villa were now being used by the host to promote the other villa. I know it sounds confusing. On closure I received an invoice from the host showing glaring abnormalities in bookings for Oct/Nov/Dec. Pay raises for staff, calls for Xmas donations, and outlandish claims for expenses in my opinion were used to recuperate the money she had embezzled and reluctantly repaid. As an example I took a screenshot for the month of November which showed my villa occupied for the entire month except for the 28th/29th/30th. The invoice from the host showed it to be occupied for 8 days only. I queried this and was told there were a lot of cancellations due to volcanic ash in the region. I then asked for an Airbnb transaction history for that period to prove or disprove my suspicions.

No reply. Two emails later still no reply. Off to Airbnb requesting a Transaction History, stating my concerns and my case et al. Negative response, after 7 emails and communicating with different ‘consultants’ the final advised to approach the host to discuss the matter amicably. Do you think the host is going to give me any information which is likely to incriminate himself, no way. I think as THE property owner I am entitled to whatever records are available with Airbnb pertaining to my villa. One professional consultant I communicated with I quote, “Wow, this is too hot for me to handle I shall refer it to the appropriate section.” No further reply. This the stock answer I get from Airbnb: I understand that the answer our team is providing you is not one that you are looking for. Regrettably, following our privacy policy, we are unable to disclose any account information to a third party. I understand that you are not physically in the same location as your previous business partner but we strongly encourage you to contact them directly to reach a solution. Really helpful. Doh!

Scammed by bastards… Airbnb does nothing.

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I’ve just tried to book an apartment in London for 4 days. The Airbnb advertisement clearly said “contact me by email.. since Airbnb is too slow”. Of course.. the app didn’t work and I’ve tried to contact them.  Then after I emailed them… everything goes all smooth as expected.  Scammer asked me some fake details… then pushed me for transfer money urgently .. and that’s the story. When I tried to see my apartment after sending the money, the advertisement and user disappeared.  Bank was contacted.. no help there.  Police also.. no help there. Airbnb.. of course.. “let’s see… we’ll report it…”.. but I guess that was the extent of their response. No word back from Airbnb.. NEVER EVER.

Tips:

1) Don’t use email ever on this kind of things.

2) Don’t rely on someone that is pushing you “It’s urgent.. etc”

3) Don’t wire your money directly to them.. (yes .. I know I was stupid.. ).

Never Airbnb again…

Airbnb FRAUD cost me 1460 Euros, & it was preventable!

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Airbnb fraud cost me 1460 Euros! They aren’t doing enough to protect their community from fraudsters. I have had many happy trips with airbnb, but after this I will never use them again. They simply aren’t doing enough to protect their customers. I went to book accommodation in Amsterdam for new year, when I saw a message in the description of the listing offering 20% discount through ‘instant book’ (on the actual airbnb.co.uk site), I just had to email the host and they would enable instant booking to make the payment. ‘Fair enough’ I thought, they want to get people in quickly. Makes sense. So I emailed the host with the dates and a request to instant book. I then received an email from Herman (the host) with a link to instant book. The URL is still active https://www.airbnb.com.book.srl/instant/rooms/5913502?checkin=12292015&checkout=01022016&currency=&guests=8 You’ll notice the URL is airbnb.com.book.srl, which at the time i believed to be Airbnb, which it evidently is not. (these links are no longer active after I brought it to airbnbs attention!) So screenshots are attached. Once you click instant book and enter payment details the following page appears with a slightly confusing error message (images attached). https://www.airbnb.com.book.srl/instant/rooms/status?accepted=false&hosting_id=9652369 After a bit of back and forth with Herman (perfect English I might add) I requested the invoice to be sent. I then received the attached email (too long to put here) and stupidly made payment through transfer. I then received emails from a very a very convincing airbnb finance team representative (express@reply-airbnb.com). Emails written as though from one of Airbnb’s real employees, here’s the linked in profile… but i don’t think this poor guy has anything to do with it. At this moment, I started to realize I’d made a mistake! I called my bank who said you can’t stop a payment like this, also notified Barclays (where the money was being transferred to), seemingly to no avail. During this entire process Herman was continuing to email and reassure me that everything was OK and the payment hadn’t come through yet. I also contacted airbnb who said that they had removed his profile and very annoying then decided to tell me never to make a payment away from airbnb (which I didn’t think I had), until they specified bank transfer. I have now followed the link where the initial listing was and it’s still live, this is after airbnb said that Herman’s account has been blocked! It has the same reviews the same host, but different apartment pictures and is on the actual airbnb.co.uk site. So unfortunately it’s inevitable that this will happen again to someone else. https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/1125879?checkin=29-12-2015&checkout=02-01-2016&guests=3&s=R92_NDn9 I really feel Airbnb could have done so much more to protect me during this absolute nightmare. Not only have they allowed the fraudulent account to continue, but make a bigger play on the fact that no payments should be done offline rather than display instant booking everywhere. They say “At Airbnb, we do everything we can to create a safe and trusted marketplace.” I don’t think this is true. I’m now completely skint 2 days before Christmas with a cancelled trip for the New Year. Thanks Airbnb, but NEVER EVER again.

FRAUD and SCAMMERS INSIDE AIRBNB!!

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This is my sad Airbnb story.  Me and a group of friends planned a trip to Amsterdam, we found the house we wanted on the site Airbnb, the host was a registered user with good reviews from the apartment, apparently all normal. We contacted the host through the Airbnb site, who responded to our request via email were we exchanging information to confirm the reservation. Back to the site of the apartment, to proceed with the booking, and once again all normal, or the site was a perfect copy of Airbnb, or even was the original, because everything was equal, logos, fonts, layout,etc. I proceeded with the reservation and confirmed the same, then I get an email at the following address airbnb@reply-booking.com (again equal to the sent by airbnb), to pay for the booking to a bank in the UK, Barclays Bank PLC; Payment due: 3 days IBAN: GB73BARC20077473958027; Bank address: 35 Frederick Street, Birmingham B1 3HH, United Kingdom). Unfortunately payment has been made, we received a new email confirming that he had been transferred the money, which the reservation was ready and safe, the host confirmed by email that Airbnb was informed that he had been paid the booking, saying that on the day of our arrival bound us to mark the delivery of house keys. With the approach of the trip, and no Host answers, we began to get suspicious that we were fraud victims. We contacted airbnb, who just informed us that there was no reservation for that number, and asked for payment and other documents, and it was all sent to them.  More than 48 hours have passed now and no response from airbnb, which forced me to make a complaint to the facebook page of them, which by sheer miracle, made them immediately send an email, saying it had been a fraud.  They apologized but said they can not do anything. It is amazing how a company with the size of airbnb does not help victim users of these crimes and take their responsibility for a scam that happened on their website! with a registered user, using their platform to catch the victims. The first contact of fraud is done on the Airbnb website, they have responsibility for it, I did not ask airbnb to give me back the money I lost, but at least to help me better and provide host information and method that was used in fraud . I believe it is an inside job of someone who works in airbnb along with another person outside the company, because all the initial contact, is always done in the airbnb site, where they “fish” their victims.

Airbnb, never more!

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Airbnb feedbacks can be wrong

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Our money (800 usd) were stolen in the flat which we rent on airbnb. We rent  flat of Patricia  in Prague on Neklanova street from 30 may till 12 june 2015 . Patricia met us in the airport with her boyfriend – Samuel. She took us from airport on her car. On the way to the flat they decided to show us place where we can change money without commission.

While we were changing the money (100 usd), Samy noticed small black bag where we kept the money.  Total sum of money in it was 1000 usd with 0 balance debit card.

After arrival we talk a bit with them and they gave us keys. We decided to leave money in Paticia’s flat as it was was protected by 2 doors (entrance hall and the flat) in the luggage bag with code lock.

On Tuesday 02.06.2015 we took 100 usd (800 usd left). Next time on Thursday 04.06.2015 we decided to change another 100 usd and saw that there were no that little bag with money, and the luggage bag was cut in two places. Other things, even other money  (700 euros and 4000 roubles), passports, documents stayed there. Other things like lcd  TV’s etc were not stolen. Windows were closed. Door and windows were locked and had no any damages.

We called Patricia. She came later and called the police.

Police made photos of the cut bag gathered evidence and invited us to the police office on the next day.

After that Patricia changed the lock of the door.  We asked Patricia – if someone had access to the keys except her ? She answered no. We suspected that it could be Sammy (her boyfriend) because he saw that small bag with money.  We  asked Patricia – could that be Sammy ?  She told that Sammy had alibi because he left Prague on Tuesday’s evening .

On our arrival  to their flat Patricicia’s told that it was so bad that Sammy could not find a job, but on Thursday she told that he left Prague for a work during Tuesday evening .

On the next day we went to police. During our talk to police we were informed that Patricia was before us in police station and gave false information. She said to police that we don’t remember where we lost our money and perhaps we lost our money on the way from airport  to her house (though she took us in her car).

In Police we were informed  that it look like a typical way of robbing the guests where host work together with criminals, covering them. That was typical for gangs from Romania.

Because the door was locked and there were no damages the only suspect was the owner of the keys.

Result.  Patricia did nothing to settle that case and disappeared from the flat, so we left the keys inside and closed the doors on automatic lock.

Czech Police and Russian Embassy representatives gave us advice to spread information about that case as potentially dangerous for the guests.  We want to warn potential guests of Patricia that they are in danger.