I recently put my first listing up as a first-time host and got a booking less than 2 days after.
I got a booking that starts tomorrow for 19 nights because their "previously booked place canceled on them and they live in the same town and are having their floors refinished". The guest does not have a profile picture and created their account in 2021.
This is a property that will get much fewer guests during the cold season so I was initially happy to see a booking, but I'm definitely concerned about it. Seems too good to be true and high risk. Instant booking was turned on, so it was already approved/paid (and they got a pretty large 20% discount from my promotion, which is a bummer because of how many nights it is and I don't expect most bookings during the winter to be more than 2/3 nights)
There are red flags. Do you have any suggested questions I should ask the guest? I'm considering canceling, which would hurt financially, but the risk feels high.