This is a scam warning to hosts!

[Robin4]

I don't know how widespread this might be. I haven't seen anything here on the CC yet so I am posting this as a new thread to get as much attention from fellow hosts as possible.

This morning I opened my emails and I immediately focused on this one ..........

I was intrigued by the title 'Bank Transfer Reversal'! It struck me as odd because Airbnb are up to date with their payouts and I wasn't expecting anything for a few more days....... but the message looked genuine. So I hovered my mouse over the various links and it appeared that they would work, they would lead me to something if I were to click on one of them!

I next studied the server address and at that point I smelled a rat. I had a notification exactly the same as this one in October 2017 when Australian hosts had that Airbnb payout saga, so I went back through my screenshots and sure enough the server address was different, in the genuine mail it was simply, (automated@airbnb.com) so I then accessed all the current Airbnb Server addresses, here is a list of them.......

• @Airbnb.com
• @airbnbaction.com
• @airbnbmail.com
• @Airbnb.zendesk.com
• @e.airbnb.com
• @express.medallia.com
• @ext.airbnb.com
• @guest.airbnb.com
• @host.airbnb.com
• @noreply@qemailserver.com
• @outreach.airbnb.com
• @research.airbnb.com

If it's not sent from one of these addresses, it’s not from Airbnb.

@airbnbinc.com is not a genuine Airbnb server address. I still don't know quite how the information in the payout method would help them! It strikes me they would need passwords and pins to actually access the account for withdrawal purposes, but I don't know enough about current technology to speculate on that. They have obviously gone to this effort for a reason!

If any hosts receive an email like this, please study the server address and if it is not one of the 12 I have listed here, don't open any of the links, just discard it to your junk mail and report it to CX. 

These scam artists are definitely getting smarter, I would have thought an email like this would go straight into my junk folder but there must have been enough information in it for my spam filter to think it was genuine! 

Please be alert guys!

Cheers......Rob

[Jennifer1421]

Wow, @Robin4 ! That's just scary - I would've thought this was genuine.

Thanks for the heads up!

[Helen3]

If I get an email like this from a company I do business with, the first thing I do automatically is check the web address it came from.

Well done for spotting and sharing this @Robin4 

Hope all is good with you and yours during the terrible bushfires Australia is experiencing.

And belated happy new year.

[Susan760]

Hi Robin

l had a similar situation recently where l was not getting paid and Airbnb required me to put in my bank details again.

not sure if it was legit , l rang Airbnb and spoke to a person who told me as per our Australian banking regulations l needed to re-verify my bank account details. I did via the website and all was good and payments have been coming through regularly.

not sure if this is the same situation as the one you describe.

[Pat271]

A couple of red flags in the email above:

1) “We tried to send you money” is not professional terminology when describing a bank transaction.

2) Superfluous “()” after the word “details”

Of course, I’m sure that some scammers may be perfectly capable of writing professional emails, and some Airbnb divisions may be perfectly capable of writing unprofessional emails!  However,  I have found that a lot of scam emails have giveaways like the above.

I suspect that this is a phishing scam, with the intent gathering as much information about you as possible.  

It’s amazing the hoodwinking that can happen if enough information is provided, even over the phone.  A few years ago, scammers set up 2 utility accounts in my name in a state in which I had never been.  Of course, the accounts were never paid and ended up in collections, which torched my credit report.  All the scammers had was my name, birthday, and SS number.  I had to file police reports, work with a detective, fill out a 20-page affidavit, etc. to get the accounts removed from my record.  It took 4 months before my credit rating was restored.

Many of these types of crimes are low-tech, not high-tech.  

[Robin4]

@Pat271 

Hi Pat, hope you have a great up coming year.

Hey, it's not quite as simple as you state. The body of that email text was identical the the genuine I received from Airbnb back in 2018. If I see something I feel I may have to consult at some future date, I screenshot it for easy reference.

Here is the genuine mail which came through back in November 2018.....

It is the same in every detail! The only difference is, the server address and I am making a big deal of this because, I am not saying I am a super sleuth but, I am sure many hosts may not pick this up, and act on it with unwanted consequences.

I do agree with you Pat in that those two points you mentioned as 'red flags' do look 'sus' but, they are the same as the genuine mail, and someone who has had one of these notices before would not think to question it!

On a happier note we had a few hours of rain here in the Adelaide Hills the night before last and that has enabled the firefighters to get on top of our local fires! Unfortunately it did not get as far as Kangaroo Island and the situation there is still grim. 

Last night the main fire zones in New South Wales also got a bit of rain and even if it was only 1/4 of an inch it will make a big difference.

What makes fighting these fires so hard is that embers and cinder from the main front are blown by the wind anything up to half a mile ahead of the front where they start a new blaze in the tinder dry conditions. 10mm of rain will wet the dry litter to the point where a cinder won't ignite it, so it gives the firies a chance to concentrate on the main blaze.

Rain is our saviour!

All the best Pat.

Cheers......Rob

[Pat271]

@Robin4 So sorry about your fire situation, Robin.  I am in Northern California, and we have had devastating, widespread fires here as well over the past 2 fire seasons - entire towns (e.g. Paradise, California) have burned to the ground.  Not nearly as widespread as your fires have been, but much grief and anguish here nonetheless.  On top of that, our electric company, worried that dry conditions combined with sparks from their towers may be triggering some of these fires,  have shut down power to millions of people for 3-4 days at a time on several occasions.  First world problem compared to the folks who have lost everything, but hard to function with no electricity, phone or internet for that length of time (especially when trying to be a good, communicative host!)

Keeping all of you down under in my thoughts, and hoping rain will come to you soon!

Pat

[Robin4]

@Pat271 

The generosity of the world is just outstanding. It is to be hoped that our Federal government can take something positive out of this and listen to not just the public, but those professionals whose job it is to know about land management.

All 17 of the major countries that we have dealings with have pledged and are giving help and support, with the notable exception of China......

Already $.75 Billion dollars has been pledged or raised by you wonderful people around the world, and together with the $1 billion + that is being raised here plus the governments $3 Billion pledge, the property damage will be taken care of.

Last night at a limited over 'Big Bash' cricket match, car maker Toyota pledged $100,000 plus $6,000 for each six (homer) runs hit, and $2,000 for each four (ball reaching the boundary) , when that match ended Toyota were up for $187,000 in just 2 hours!

Our cost of living will rise by about 20% to cover shortages and increased insurance premiums but, we will heal. Unfortunately nature won't. Here on Kangaroo Island, amongst other species, we had the only pure strain of honey bee left on earth....the Ligurian bee.....that has been decimated. Time will tell if it has been totally lost. 

There is no adequate way to say thank you to the global community. When the chips are down earth is a pretty good place to live!

Cheers........Rob 

[Lehel1]

Thank you for warning us!

[Stephanie]

Thank you for sharing this @Robin4  - excellent information that can be used by all who use Airbnb whether host or guest.

Thanks and stay safe! I'm knitting some animal shaped items for those rescued from the fires.

[Robin4]

@Stephanie 

Specifically what sort of 'animal shaped item' Steph! Would they fit a 6 ft male human! My wardrobe is in need of replenishing!

It rained on Kangaroo Island today and over the next 48 hours the situation there should be contained, much to everyones relief. Almost half the Island has been lost to these bushfires and our fear is that some of those animals that you are knitting shapes for Steph, no longer exist!

Kangaroo Island was unique in that major predatory animals like foxes, dingos were never introduced there, neither were rabbits and a plethora of other English fauna they brought with them on colonization!. So the island built up a population of gentle creatures, Koalas, Wombats, short nosed Echidnas......slow moving and accepting of humans because they never had to confront fear, they were never threatened. This was the attraction of the Island for tourists....you could just walk up to any animal and pat it.

Those days are gone now.....they sure know fear now, those that are left, and I am afraid KI will never be the same again. A fire does the soil the world of good, it brings nature back to life with renewed vigor! The trees will regrow but much of what makes the Island so great will never return.

Steph, if ever you get to Kangaroo Island there is one experience you absolutely have to discover.....Lavender Ice-cream. It is easily the best ice-cream I have ever tasted. It comes from the Lavender farm just outside of Kingscote.....hopefully it is still there!  You think of lavender as a rather strong, almost 'moth ball' smell....but it isn't! There is a food grade of lavender and I defy anyone to stop at one tub of Lavender ice-cream. The farm is huge but their entire production goes to keeping up with demand on the island. They do not export it off to the mainland because they simply can't produce enough of it!

Put it on your bucket list....you won't be disappointed! 

Cheers.......Rob

[Stephanie]

Dunno Rob, how do you think these would suite you? 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/07/australia-wildfires-animals-shelters-knitting

You still have Woolworths in AU don't you? Get yourself a Ladybird collection make over HA!

It sounds like an incredible place and tragic loss - I imagine some subspecies of creature and vegetation are on the brink if not lost already. Thank goodness for the rain, I will I could send all of Blighty's over for you!

Australia is number 1 on my "next trip outside the UK" list. Just scraping together those pennies @Robin4 !

Thanks

[Robin4]

@Stephanie 

I am a Woolworths regular Steph, In fact I have a very good relationship with Julie (the manageress off our local 'Woolies') and when cheeses get within a week of their best before date, I get them for 30c per cheese. That is why every guest gets a $25 cheese plate!

But Steph a Ladybird collection is not something I have come across in store! 

Woolworths Mt Ronnie

Steph, I don't make a habit of sending first time guests a special offer!

I would however definitely make an exception in your case!

And I wouldn't do that for Brian Chesky, you know!

Cheers.......Rob

[Susan1404]

@Robin4Thanks for the warning on this.  As we say in the southern U.S., an ounce for warning is worth a pound of cure!

[Ann72]

I was with @Pat271 on the red flags @Robin4 until you showed that screenshot.  Eerie!  Another thing to note about such emails is never to click on the links within them.  If you (and by "you" I mean anyone, not you specifically Robin :)) want to look further into it, just go straight to your online account and deal with any issues there.

Such a relief to hear you've had some rain!