Rental scam using Airbnb? How should I go forward, if at all?

[Elizabeth103]

I have been trying to find an apartment and found a listing on a popular rental website (not Airbnb). We started e-mailing, and the owner told me that he lives in Spain and will be using Airbnb's services for payment. It didn't seem strange until this last email. What bothers me about this is that it doesn't seem to follow any of Airbnb's practices. It also threw up other rental scam red flags, such as the fact that he wants me to pay before seeing the property, he's asking for my personal information outside the Airbnb platform, and the place doesn't come up on the Airbnb search list. Here is the portion of the most recent e-mail that I find odd, copy/pasted, edited for clarity:

"If you decide to proceed with this transaction, I will need your phone number along with your full name and address where you can be contacted for the keys and the rental contract. Then I will start the process through Airbnb here in Spain, providing them your information. Next you will receive a notification message from them, containing a receipt with all the instructions that you need to follow in order to complete the process and receive the keys and the rental contract.
Regarding the payment, you will get all the necessarily [sic] instructions on the invoice, so you can deposit the money for the first month along with the warranty, into an escrow bank account from AIRBNB. They will hold and insure your money until you check the apartment and decide if you want to rent it or not.
As soon as you will complete the deposit of $1,100 + $1,100 = $2,200 into their bank account, an agent from Airbnb will meet and show you the property. You will be given one day inspection period to take a decision and [in case you are not satisfied with the apartment], next day the total amount will be refunded to you by Airbnb. If you'll like the flat then you can keep the keys, sign the contract, and we will fix a date for the monthly payment, that it has to be done by you directly to my personal bank account."

There's a lot about the whole exchance that seems quite.... off. The more I think about it, the stranger it sounds. There is nothing on Airbnb about "escrow accounts," etc. It just smells terribly fishy, and I want to make certain that my eagerness and need for a place to go doesn't get me ensnared into some scammer's net. 

So, what are your thoughts on this? 

[Tim151]

Hi Christian,

Thank you for the information on your apartment.

I have a few questions...

Is the apartment furnished? 

Is there parking included?

Will there be a lease agreement for me to sign?

Since you are renting this out through Airbnb, who would be my "landlord" contact here in Chicago?

Is the $1,200 rent price per month? And would I be paying the rent on the first day of every month?

In regards to the utilities, would I be responsible for gas and electric? 

Is there any way for me to go see the apartment before deciding to move in?

Sorry for all of the questions, but since this is an unique situation with you living out of the country I just want to make sure I understand how renting from you will work.

Thank you!

[Tim151]

Thank you for your reply

Because I'm not in US, I will make this rental through Airbnb services ( www.airbnb.com ).They will handle for us everything

Like I have informed you before, you need to pay 1 month of rent + 1 month of warranty ($1,200 + $1,200 = $2,400), but that month of warranty you will receive back after you finish the contract. The price will not increase monthly, it will remain the same for the whole period that the contact will be signed for. The rent will be paid monthly, to my bank account and the utility bills are paid directly from my bank account
 
I already arranged with Airbnb where I already left the keys and rental contract signed by me, to use their services, so they will handle the payment and transport for us.The transaction will be done only through Airbnb system, so the transaction will be 100% secured for both. That is how their buyer protection policy works. 

If you are really interested please give me your full name and address and I will send this information to Airbnb and they will send you the link of apartment on airbnb and all details about transaction. 
 
If everything is ok, please email me with the details that I requested above ( your full name and address ), so I can make the arrangements.
I look forward to your quick response, because there are several others interested in the apartment, and I need to know if I can count on a deal with you.

Thank you so much!

[Isabel170]

Hey there,

I received the same email today:

Hi again,

First of all, I want to start this email saying that this is not an face to face transaction, this being the whole purpose for using AirBnb Property Management, to protect the both of us 100%. Now for security and for your peace of mind I had attached an copy of my PASSPORT to build up some confidence.

Regarding the process, you will only have to deposit to AirBnb the first month rent + damage deposit, an total of 1300$CAD (820+480) so they can proceed with the shipping, and you can receive the rental package (keys and documents). I will pay for a 2 days delivery so you will receive the keys and the contract signed by me right away.

Below I will explain you step by step how the transaction with AirBnb Property Management works, to avoid any misunderstanding please READ CAREFULLY THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1 - To start the process all I need are your contact details: full name, mailing address (street, number, city and postal code), cell phone number, move-in date and lease agreement preferred (e.g. 6 months or 1 year rental contract with option of renewal). The lease agreement will be a standard one from the Canadian government.
2 - I will go to the AirBnb Property Management office to start the transaction and I will give them the apartment keys and necessary documents.
3 - AirBnb Property Management will check the ownership documents and lease agreement. They will also confirm with the building management that I'm the legal owner of the apartment I'm renting to you.
4 - AirBnb will send you a notification(via email) with the transaction details to inform you that they have the keys and the documents in their custody.
5 - At this point you need to send the amount of 1300$(1st month rent from the rental contract + damage deposit-refundable in the last month of rent from contract) to the the AirBnb Property Management payment representative (lawyer escrow account) provided to you in the notification. THE PAYMENT NEEDS TO BE SENT WITHIN 24 BUSINESS HOURS AFTER YOU WILL RECEIVE THE TRANSACTION DETAILS OR ELSE THEY WILL CHARGE ME AN ADDITIONAL FEE.
6 - As soon as the payment is completed you need to send the payment details to AirBnb.
7 - AirBnb will verify the payment and if everything is in order they will start the shipping procedures using UPS Next Day Shipping Service.
8 - You will receive the package (keys and lease agreement) and you will have 5 business days (inspection time) to check the place.
9 - If you decide to keep the apartment you just need to sign the lease agreement and AirBnb Property Management will release the funds to me. If you don`t want to keep the apartment you will receive a full payment refund including any payment fee.

PLEASE NOTE that AirBnb Property Management can NOT release the funds without your approval. You will have 5 days to inspect the apartment and decide if you want to rent it or not, in this time you will have full control of the payment. They can release the payment to me as a landlord just after they will receive the lease agreement with your signature.
ALSO THEY WILL SEND YOU OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS (LEASE AGREEMENT AND INVOICE) BEFORE MAKING THE DEPOSIT TO THEM.

I ALSO NEED TO BE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS CLEAR FOR YOU SO PLEASE READ CAREFULLY ALL THE STEPS OF THE TRANSACTION BECAUSE I CAN NOT CHANGE THEIR TERMS AND CONDITIONS. ALSO I WILL PAY FOR THE TRANSACTION AND DELIVERY FEES AND JUST IN CASE YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND I WILL NOT RECEIVE A REFUND FROM THEM!

Let me know if you have the funds available (1300CAD$) so we can move forward and e-mail me your full information I requested. Any further questions regarding the transaction you can call or e-mail me.

Thanks
David

[Ronelle3]

OMG, I just received this similar email in the exact same format. Thank you for sharing, it's appreciated!

[Helen3]

It's a scame @Isabel170 this is not how Airbnb works.

[Melissa201]

This literally just happened to me today. I wish I saw this post before I gave them money.  I am so upset. 

[Nicole270]

Happend to me today, but because everything sounded so suspicious, i googled it, and luckily came across this post!

This are the emails I recieved:

First Email – still in german, but asking me to write in English:

Sehr geehrte Frau Weingand,

Ich bedauere meine späte Antwort, aber ich las gerade Ihr E-Mail bezüglich meiner Wohnung gelegt auf Mitterhofergasse 2, 1210 Wien. Ich suche einen langfristigen Mieter, ich habe nicht eine Mindestdauer, aber ich würde es vorziehen, es so lange wie möglich zu mieten.
Die Wohnung ist sehr schön, sauber, ruhig und bereit zu mieten. Es verfügt über alle Annehmlichkeiten wie Privatparkplatz, Kabel-TV, Internet, Waschmaschine. Auch Haustiere sind erlaubt.
Die Miete beträgt 680 EUR / Monat (Nebenkosten, Internet, Kabel-TV).
Falls Sie english sprechen, wäre das für mich eine grosse Hilfe.
Wenn weiter interessiert, geben Sie mir bitte etwas Information über sich selbst (Alter, Job, Lebensstil, oder was für Sie denken, macht Sie einen guten Pächter).

Second eMail

Dear Nicole,
 
Thanks for your answer and i will gladly rent you the flat if we can reach an agreement.
I work as a Product Manager in the field of endoprosthetics and the company I work for has developed projects all around the world. They moved me to Spain department because they have a new project here.
The apartment is vacant so you can move-in anytime you want. Like I have informed you before, the rent is 680 EUR/month (all costs included, electricity, heating, TV, internet). The guarantee deposit is 900 EUR ( the guarantee deposit you will receive back when you leave the apartment ), with no extra taxes to pay. The money, I want to receive monthly to my bank account, so I hope it will be no problem for you to wire the money.
I will not be able to be present for viewing, so I am willing to send you the keys for you can visit the apartment and see if suits your needs. The delivery for the keys and viewing permit (signed by me), will be made with Airbnb Rental ( https://www.airbnb.com/trust ) specialized in international rentals.
Looking forward to hearing from you and I need to know if you are really interested in the place so we can discuss further.

Third EMail

Dear Nicole,

If you decide to proceed, I will go to the Airbnb Rental office to start the transaction and I will give them the apartment keys and necessary documents. They will check the ownership documents, lease agreement and will also confirm that I'm the legal owner of the apartment I'm renting to you.
Airbnb will send you a notification with the transaction details to inform you that they have the keys and the documents in their custody. You will receive the deposit guarantee certificate - the document which states your deposit is insured during the transaction.
To reserve the apartment, you will be instructed to deposit first payment a month's rent in advance + guarantee deposit (EUR 1,580) to an account that belongs to Airbnb Rental. They hold and secure the money until you check the apartment and decide if you want to take it or not.
Once the funds were deposited into their account, they will begin the shipping process. The keys, the rental agreement and the copy of the ownership of the apartment will be delivered by their agent at your current address in not more than 2 days. You will be given control over 3 days from the day you receive the keys and contract at home.
If you are satisfied with the apartment, you and the agent will set up an Agreement according to Austrian regulations and your requests/needs. After that Airbnb Rental will release the payment to me as a landlord just after they will receive the lease agreement with your signature. If you don`t want to keep the apartment you will receive a full payment refund including any payment fee.
If you want to continue renting the apartment, please tell me your details (full name, date of birth, address and phone number) and i will go to the company to make all the formalities and visit arrangement.
Thank you for your interest and waiting news from you.

I also got an invoice from "Airbnb" to ask me to transfere the money to a bank account.

Kind regards, Nicole

[Helen3]

Ask you credit card company to do a chargeback @Melissa201 and report this to Airbnb.

[Devon10]

Has anyone ever had a guest email them wanting to come look at their apartment (they live in the neighborhood but are looking for two colleagues coming in for a conference) prior to the booking to see if it is suitable? I haven't had this happen before and it sounds legit but the request has already expired and I always feel like it's best to be safe? Especially when I haven't received a payment yet..

[Helen3]

Hello @Devon10

I would never let someone come and see my place in advance of a stay. They should be able to find all the information they need through your photos, description, reviews and ratings. Anything else they can ask through Airbnb messaging.

What is it exactly they want to know that they can't do through the above.

Just explain that for security reasons, Airbnb doesn't advise doing this. (quite often guests use this as an opportunity to go outside Airbnb, barter you down, or in rarer cases to look your place as a burglary site.

Unless they are a Airbnb business partner, make sure the booking goes through those who are booking, not these colleagues.

[Abe12]

from a[Personal information hidden] who claims to work in[Personal information hidden] Canada but was assigned to the UK![Personal information hidden] (while the website of[Personal information hidden] has an email address of [Personal information hidden] which means the scammer has gotten better than just using the usual AOL or gmail)

Here was his last email to me, just an hour ago today (2017-11-07), offering me a $650 studio condo in Mississauga, Ontario.  The content is almost verbatim to the ones pasted here or in scamwatch.com.

Thank goodness I didn't push through with it...

===================

Dear (name),

First of all, I want to start this email saying that this is not an face to face transaction, this being the whole purpose for using AirBnb Property Management, to protect the both of us 100%. Now for security and for your peace of mind I had attached an copy of my PASSPORT to build up some confidence.

Regarding the process, you will only have to deposit to AirBnb the first month rent + damage deposit, an total of 1300$CAD (650+650) so they can proceed with the shipping, and you can receive the rental package (keys and documents). I will pay for a 2 days delivery so you will receive the keys and the contract signed by me right away. 

Below I will explain you step by step how the transaction with AirBnb Property Management works, to avoid any misunderstanding please READ CAREFULLY THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1 - To start the process all I need are your contact details: full name, mailing address (street, number, city and postal code), cell phone number, move-in date and lease agreement preferred (e.g. 6 months or 1 year rental contract with option of renewal). The lease agreement will be a standard one from the Canadian government.
2 - I will go to the AirBnb Property Management office to start the transaction and I will give them the apartment keys and necessary documents.
3 - AirBnb Property Management will check the ownership documents and lease agreement. They will also confirm with the building management that I'm the legal owner of the apartment I'm renting to you.
4 - AirBnb will send you a notification(via email) with the transaction details to inform you that they have the keys and the documents in their custody.
5 - At this point you need to send the amount of 1300$(1st month rent from the rental contract + damage deposit-refundable in the last month of rent from contract) to the the AirBnb Property Management payment representative (lawyer escrow account) provided to you in the notification. THE PAYMENT NEEDS TO BE SENT WITHIN 24 BUSINESS HOURS AFTER YOU WILL RECEIVE THE TRANSACTION DETAILS OR ELSE THEY WILL CHARGE ME AN ADDITIONAL FEE.
6 - As soon as the payment is completed you need to send the payment details to AirBnb.
7 - AirBnb will verify the payment and if everything is in order they will start the shipping procedures using UPS Next Day Shipping Service.
8 - You will receive the package (keys and lease agreement) and you will have 5 business days (inspection time) to check the place.
9 - If you decide to keep the apartment you just need to sign the lease agreement and AirBnb Property Management will release the funds to me. If you don`t want to keep the apartment you will receive a full payment refund including any payment fee.

PLEASE NOTE that AirBnb Property Management can NOT release the funds without your approval. You will have 5 days to inspect the apartment and decide if you want to rent it or not, in this time you will have full control of the payment. They can release the payment to me as a landlord just after they will receive the lease agreement with your signature.
ALSO THEY WILL SEND YOU OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS (LEASE AGREEMENT AND INVOICE) BEFORE MAKING THE DEPOSIT TO THEM.

I ALSO NEED TO BE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS CLEAR FOR YOU SO PLEASE READ CAREFULLY ALL THE STEPS OF THE TRANSACTION BECAUSE I CAN NOT CHANGE THEIR TERMS AND CONDITIONS. ALSO I WILL PAY FOR THE TRANSACTION AND DELIVERY FEES AND JUST IN CASE YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND I WILL NOT RECEIVE A REFUND FROM THEM!

Let me know if you have the funds available (1300CAD$) so we can move forward and e-mail me your full information I requested. Any further questions regarding the transaction you can call or e-mail me.

Thanks

**

[Vesela1]

Hi Devon and Helen,

I actually did that, I asked an airbnb person if I may see the place.

I am temporarily in LA for 3 months in a very small studio. I invited my parents (who are elderly AND clean freaks!) to come visit for 5 days and the airbnb is for them. Because of the situation - that I want them to be in a comfortable place near me, that I am already here, and that I was scammed twice through airbnb (how I got involved in this thread in the first place),  I asked the host if he is ok with this. Another reason is that he had very few reviews, about 10 or less - so not a totally seasoned and reliable host. He said ok and I went there and it was lovely, we immediately booked the place. The host will clearly receive a stellar review from my family.

I don't see the safety issue. The problem raised by this thread is that scams do NOT allow you to see the place beforehand (usually long term though). Clearly if I weren't already here, it wouldn't be possible. But I am so the wish to see the place is the same as with long term rent. In fact, I said that I'm here for 3 months - well the place that I rented here, I asked a friend who lives in LA to go to the location and check it out for me and tell me if it's a legit place (again after being scammed twice for LA renting through airbnb). I think this is human... as a client, I'd say not allowing people to see the place for no obvious reason is suspicious. 

I had a second option host who also agreed me to see the place, but I loved the first one so much that I wrote to the second one right away to say that it is not needed anymore. So two hosts on airbnb and one outside think that it's not a weird thing to ask.

best and good luck renting,

Ves

[Helen3]

The danger is

1. It is people who are casing the place to carry out a burglary at a later date - this has happened to hosts on a number of occasions

2. Women could be at risk from predatory types

3. Some people use it as an opportunity to haggle the host down/try and book outside airbnb to save money.

4. Some people are looking to use a property for prostitution/dodgy movies

It's certainly not suspicious for a host not to want people to see their place in advance. You can see everything you want from photos and the description and you can choose verified hosts with a long history and five star ratings/superhosts.

Yes there are a few hosts that are happy to let people see their place before someone books. The vast majority of us don't.

[Edson7]

I was cheated in this virtual scam using the Airbnb name.

"First, he wrote in portuguese (I am in Porto)"

I received a bank note with the Airbnb's logo and I did the transfer to an account at Banco Poste Italiane.

From "[Personal information hidden] Dept. Comercial"

Hello ,

I want to take this opportunity to assure you that there is nothing to be worried about this rental.
I am a very sincere and honest person. I don't want to waste anyone's time.

* You will inspect the apartment before your final decision to rent.
* I will pay the transportation costs.
* The all utility bills will be redirected to me in Italy


I will try explain to you step by step how this will work, take a few moments and read my email carefully!


Step # 1.

In order to proceed, I need your actual information:

* Full Name
* Address
* City
* Postal code
* Country
* Phone Number
* Move IN  date and for how long would you like to rent


Step # 2.

With the information you will provide me, I will go at Airbnb office and I will leave the keys and the contract in their possession to start the process. The transportation will be done by Airbnb

Here are the contents that will be delivered to you:

* Entrance and the rooms keys;
* Paper/permanent property form (Containing your reference details);
* The apartment documented file;
* Payment receipts;


Of course, we will need some way to go through this agreement, to allow us ensure that we get what we are expecting, because you can't send me the money directly with no protection and I must have a warranty to send you the keys, I hope you understand I can't just send the keys to anyone.


This is step # 3.

* You need to deposit to Airbnb custody, first 2 months of rent ( €600  ) + warranty (€500 ) in total of €1100 ;
* They will proceed send an agent with the keys at the address provided in 48 hours;
* After the agent arrives and inspect the apartment you must give Airbnb an answer.
* In case you will rent it, you will have to supply them a copy of the contract signed by you and they will release me the funds. The contract will be signed and filled in after you will check the apartment;
* In case you will not rent it, they will refund your money .
* Airbnb will provide assistance in handling the payment and inspection, I'll pay for the services performed by the company, so there will not be any additional cost to you.


I will await your quick response and I will complete the transaction asap.


Best Regards

Sent from Outlook

[Mafalda9]

Hi. Can you give me the guy name? 

I saw a place in Lisbon in a different website and requested more information.

They awsner me yesterday afternoon with same text.

I didn't receive any bank letter.

Thanks