Possible Large-Scale Scam on Airbnb – Multiple Fake Accounts and Stolen Hotel Listings

[Jurirat-Team0]

Hi Airbnb community,

I recently came across what I believe is a major scam operation on the platform and wanted to share the details to get your thoughts.

There’s an account—actually, multiple accounts (at least 4 or more) under the same name. The profile picture and identity appear to be either stolen from a real person or generated by AI. The host presents as a woman, but based on my investigation, the real person behind it is likely male and operating under a false identity.

This person has hundreds, if not thousands, of listings—mostly hotel rooms. I personally called several of the hotels listed, and they all confirmed that they do not have Airbnb listings and have no idea who this host is.

Here’s what seems to be happening: the scammer lists hotel rooms at double the actual price. For example, if a hotel normally charges 1,000 THB, the Airbnb listing shows it at 2,000 THB. Once someone books through Airbnb, the scammer turns around and books the hotel on another platform, pocketing the difference.

The most baffling part? All of the listings are for real hotel rooms, but the host doesn’t own or manage any of them. The hotels themselves confirmed they have no connection to this person, yet the listings are still live. Even after guests posted reviews calling it out as a scam, Airbnb hasn’t taken any action. What’s more concerning is that the account shows “many years of hosting,” which gives it an added layer of credibility—possibly tricking even more guests into trusting it.

Here are two examples from guest reviews:

"Let's just get it out there, Z* isn't real 🤣 we met someone who helped us check in, definitely not Z***, then he got us on the phone with the owner, again he was not Z***. Seemed strange that the owner was hiding behind an AI photo of a girl and calling himself Z***.
Anyway, the place was pretty good! No complaints apart from the strange smells."**

"The reservation is made by a person who claims to be called Z*, but the hotel staff—who has worked there for over 10 years—didn’t know her and didn’t even know what Airbnb was. I’m pretty sure this person is an agent, listing properties they don’t own. Out of 341 listings, she didn’t own any of them. The only message I got from her came after the booking was confirmed. Everything else was just an automated reply. If something goes wrong or you need help, don’t expect a reply. Think twice before booking."**

My question is: How has this been allowed to continue on Airbnb?
Even with reviews pointing out the fraud, the listings are still up and running.

Would love to hear if anyone else has come across this or reported something similar.

Thanks,

[Elegant-Homes-Retreat0]

Hi @Jurirat-Team0,

Thank you so much for taking the time to investigate and share this. This definitely sounds like a serious issue and potentially a large-scale scam that puts both guests and the platform’s credibility at risk.

It’s deeply concerning that listings with such obvious red flags — fake identities, unauthorized listings, and guest reviews calling them out — are still live. Airbnb should be taking swift action in cases like this, especially when hotels themselves confirm they have no affiliation.

I would recommend the following:

Report each listing directly through the Airbnb platform using the “Report this listing” button — select the option for “suspicious or fraudulent activity.”

Contact Airbnb Safety Team through this page or via @AirbnbHelp on Twitter/X with a detailed explanation and examples.

Encourage hotels you’ve contacted to report the misuse of their properties — that can carry additional weight with Airbnb’s Trust & Safety team.

This isn’t just a matter of platform policy — it risks guests booking properties they don’t actually have access to and damages trust in genuine hosts and co-hosts.

Thanks again for raising this. Please keep us updated if you hear back from Airbnb or notice any changes.