Airbnb Scam by Scammer Posing as Airbnb Support

[Scott53]

Airbnb hosts, beware. I received a call from Airbnb. I called the number back, and it was an Airbnb number: 415-800-5959. The scammers said they were updating my account with additional services. Unknowingly, they had hacked my Airbnb account. When they called me, they sent me a code to my cell phone and asked me to tell them the code. I didn't realize they were hacking my account. They used the code to get into my account. Once they were in my account, they changed my payment method to a Payoneer Bank debit card and stole the money from my account. Here's what's odd. They had perfect timing. Usually, the payment is transferred directly to my PayPal account automatically. How did they know to call me precisely before the Airbnb payment would be made? It almost seems like it was perpetrated by an Airbnb employee who had inside access. If someone from Airbnb support asks you to read the code sent from Airbnb, DON'T GIVE IT TO THEM. Give them fake numbers to see what they do. An Airbnb support person will not get annoyed. If they ask you more than once for another code, ask them why they are trying to scam you. Ask them if they need the code to hack your account. Tell them you are going to report them. They will probably hang up. The best way to confirm is to have them send you a message on Airbnb that verifies their name. I hope this helps other Airbnb hosts from being victimized.  #Payoneer #PayoneerBank #PayoneerDebitCard

[Bhumika]

Hi @Scott53 , thank you for sharing this instance with other Hosts in the Community. It'll definitely help other Hosts to be careful during such interactions. 

Have you reported this incident to Airbnb Customer Support? If not, please let us know! 

[Scott53]

Yes, Bhumika. I did report it.

[Karen605]

I reported mine as well and it was identical to Scott's. VERY SCARY. I'd like to feel reassured that AIrbnb has a team working on this!!!

[Victoria-And-Todd0]

Simple. They know that Airbnb disburses payouts a day after check-in. They looked at your property's  Airbnb calendar, saw which dates are booked, and deduced the day to call you. never giving codes to anyone goes without saying. if in doubt, log into your Airbnb account and contact help via your inbox. 

[Scott53]

What got me was the number that was showing up is Airbnb's support number so the caller ID showed Airbnb support. They had called before and at the time I was busy and told them I thought this was a scam and hung up. But when I called the number back, I reached Airbnb. My best advise, before you give a code to Airbnb support, have them send you a message thourgh Airbnb. Also, give them a phone number first to see how they react and when they ask for another one, ask them why. Then accuse them of being scammers. If they are scammers, they will hang up. If they are not, a  true Airbnb support person will not get annoyed. You can always call Airbnb back and ask for the support person.

[Frances3408]

@Scott53. Hi Scott, thanks for the warning post and I'm sorry to hear about being scammed. Did Airbnb ever contact you to advise you had changed your payment details? I think any changes should have a hold placed on them for at least 48 hours until a host confirms: I think most hosts would prefer a delay after making such a change than risk losing money.

And Airbnb Support wonders why I refuse to take calls from them and will only deal via messages.

[Ana2038]

@Frances3408 , you are correct in that anytime I make changes to my listing, I get an email from Airbnb, the same day, acknowledging the change. That has been my experience, so far. 

Like you I don’t answer phone calls from Airbnb support and prefer to deal with Airbnb support in writing. 

[Scott53]

Airbnb should notify all Airbnb hosts when a scam like this is being perpetuated.

I believe Airbnb was able to recover the funds. I contacted the institution and notified Airbnb with in a few hours of the incident. The funds that were stolen from my account were returned or reimbursed by Airbnb. I did not suffer a loss, but I'm not sure if Airbnb did.

[Scott53]

I agree 100%. Not only should their be a delay, the host should either have to call Airbnb or go on their Airbnb portal and physically approve the change. That would solve that problem. Airbnb brought the change to my payment method. I changed it back to the way it was. Their recommendation was to change my password. My account was hacked. Had it not been hacked,  this would not have happened. Another proactive safety measure would be to simply send a text/email every time someone logs into your account.

[Frances3408]

@Scott53. Good to hear.

[Karen605]

Hi Scott, 

This exact thing happened to me last week (Nov. 13, 2024) and today (Nov 19,2024) . I got a suspicious phone call that showed up on my Iphone as Airbnb so it must be coming from their call center! They initially were talking about a payout. They knew the specific amount and they said it would be delayed. Then I get an email from  them saying a payout method had been added &  Payoneer Debit card. I've had the same payout method since I started over 7 yrs ago. No changes on my part. I unfortunately am old school so I hung up from the scammer &  called Airbnb right away. I prefer talking to typing it all out. Perhaps I need to reconsider this. Perhaps to hold them (Airbnb) accountable  a papertrail is needed. I did not feel like they fully addressed the problem. I changed my password immediately. Of course I'm emotional and FREAKED since this is a big portion of my livelihood. I 'd feel better if they had a security department that could address these concerns. My husband says of course they are not going to admit that there is a scammer in their call center.

Karen

[Karen605]

Also like your scenario they called me at the perfect time....right before the payout would be initiated. Also know the exact amount. The number was exactly like your experience 415-800-5959. They have a mole, scammer within the company and they probably do not want that information getting out!!!