As a former Security Guard whose immediate boss was a retired Police Officer, I've learned a lot about the various types of crime, much of which you rarely hear about. Identity theft is one of them that needs far more press coverage.
It is incredibly risky to upload your govenment-issued identification online! Just don't do it.
If identity theft ever happens to you, trust me, it could takes years and a lot of headaches before new i.d. is issued and that's before we even talk about your bank account being compromised.
This issue at hand is the fact that it is online..uhm..."secure" using the same tech as is used to protect your credit card using a "third party"...how many "secure" data companies are hacked?
For one thing, you are all but guaranteed to get a refund if someone steals your credit card as there are ways for the banks to trace information.
You have NO such checks and balances regarding your i.d.-and that, my friends, is the big difference.
While I understand home owners' concerns, they are easy to alleviate: you just show the homeowner your i.d. in person. Heck I'd be happy to add references-no problem at all!
It should also be noted that the guest is also at risk here: who are the owners? A homeowner can certainly have a criminal record and/or be unsafe to be around!
I have stayed at an airbnb where the owners didn't even live there and I was surrounded by strangers, a houseful, in fact. Oh and this was a superhost.
Surely any owner could put themselves in the shoes of the guests in the case of potential i.d. theft. I would accept it in person. Why wouldn't you?
Thanks for reading this! Best of luck to all and stay safe out there :-).
