College internships... scam?

[Shari202]

I get numerous requests for long term housing, some are college interns needing housing for the summer,  and then some are people needing housing for working in our area.  I preapprove some and then never hear back.  Is this normal, or scams taking up our time?

[Anonymous]

@Shari202   Those aren't requests in Airbnb parlance; they're "inquiries." That means the guest hasn't gone through the booking process and submitted a payment method; they only clicked the "Contact Host" button. Some people looking for housing will copy-paste their inquiry to hundreds of hosts hoping for a discount offer, and sometimes an inquiry is testing the waters for a scam.

These are a waste of your time. People who are serious about booking your home will go directly to the Request to Book screen; the "Pre-Approval" feature is seldom ever worth using. You're not obliged to pre-approve or decline these, as long as you write some kind of response. One word is enough. 

"College intern" is a typical cover story used in Airbnb scams. Are you even located near a college or a major business employing interns? 

[Shari202]

No sir, the house is a secluded cabin.  I appreciate your response as I have only been with Airbnb for a few months and only rented once.  The first time was positive, but I am learning!  Thank you so much for helping me not feel guilty for turning them down!  The money would be great, but not if it's a scam!  Just as I feared!