Does this sound like a scam? It certainly feels like one.

[Matt200]

Hey all,

Thought I would post here and get some advise from the AirBnB community as to whether or not this e-mail I have received is a scam or whether this is a legitimate service AirBnB offers?

I am in the process of looking for a new apartment to lease with my girlfriend in Sydney. I saw an advert on a popular rental website (rent.com.au) for a furnished two bed apartment, at a very good price. Naturally I made an enquiry through rent.com.au to request a viewing.

I recieved the following e-mail reply:

"Hello ,

I am glad that you are interested to rent my apartment.

 My name is **** and I am working at Petroleum Petro Rack ( Spain Petroleums ) as fuel distribution company . I lived in this apartment until 30 of June 2017, when my CEO moved me in Spain for the next 2 years, so the apartment is available for long-term. The apartment is fully furnished with all the necessary equipment and appliances. As you saw in the pictures it is in excellent condition, very clean and well kept. 

 The rent will be $650 p/w including utilities (hot/cold water, electricity, internet, cable TV). Also, a security deposit  of $650 is required at the start of the lease and it will be refunded at the end of the contract (a 30 day notice is required). 

 You have full access to all building amenities. Pets are allowed. That's all I can say for now until you have a taste of my place.You can rent in short term and long .

In the meantime, can you please confirm the following:

· How many people would be living at the property?

· When would you like to move in?

· What term/length lease would you like?

· Do you have any pets?

If further interested, please give me some information about yourself (age, job, lifestyle or whatever you think makes you a good tenant).

Please feel free to ask any questions you do not understand and i will be looking forward to receive your email as soon as possible.

Thank you , 

Sincerely ,****"

So I replied providing a short introduction about myself and my girlfriend (no personal information), and some information regarding the duration we are looking to rent the apartment for.

I recieved the following e-mail back which is what set off alarm bells for me:

"Hello  ,

 Thank you for responding so quick with all of that information, it all sounds great.

The only thing, is that I'm currently in Spain for new project and for the moment as I told you. 

 However, I hope this will not change your intentions to rent my apartment because we can still reach an agreement. We can do this transaction through Airbnb. In this way, you will receive the keys in less than 48 hours to inspect the apartment and you will be able to view the apartment without any obligations to rent it. I will pay all the transaction costs. To avoid any misunderstanding I will be gladly to explain you step by step how the viewing procedure works:

  To reserve the apartment I need to send some details :

. When would you like to move in(exact date) :

. Period of the contract:

. Adults

. Children:

. Name:

. Address:

. City:

. Zip code:

. Country:

. Cell phone number: 

.  A copy of your ID,passport or driving license by email ( scan or photo) and a picture of you for inspection and to prepare all necessary papers for you to become a future tenant. 

Once I get your details, I will contact Airbnb with them to start the transaction. They will send you an invoice and further information regarding the rental, along with payment instructions to secure the booking. The deposit consists of four week's rent($2.600 Bond) and the security deposit ( $650 ) and is just to reserve the apartment and not a commitment. You have full payment control until you will check the apartment.  After you pay the deposit, the inspection time will be settled (you just tell them on which date you're available) and within 2 days, the agent will come to show you the apartment and help you with all the formalities so you can live in the apartment.

If you will be satisfied with the apartment, you can move there in the same day. All you have to do is to sign the rental contract and Airbnb will release the payment to me.   I'm quite confident you will like the apartment, but if not, you still have the option to cancel, and get your deposit back from the agent, immediately.

Also, in case you're tied up in another contract and cannot move in immediately, we can arrange the viewing now, and reserve the apartment for you.

 I would appreciate a 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, 

Sincerely ,****"

The fact that he is asking for me to e-mail personal information (passport, drivers licence etc..) and to complete the transaction via AirBnB (which no doubt will most likely turn out to be a fake invoice asking me to desposit direct into a bank account), makes me think that this is probably a scam.

But I wanted to check with the community first, because if this is infact a legitimate service AirBnB provides for overseas home owners, then I don't want to accuse the guy of being a scammer.

**[Personal information hidden]

[Steve143 · Accepted solution]

Hello @Matt200,

Unfortunately it is a scam.

There are many reports here of emails with the same format and requesting the same details and explaining the same procedure.

Airbnb doesn't operate like that. There are no Airbnb agents and Aribnb actively discourages hosts from letting guests see the listing before a reservation is paid for.

The only valid procedure is:

You see the listing on the Airbnb website.

You book on the Airbnb website, at which point Airbnb charges the amount to your credit card.

You check in at the apartment.

24 hours later Airbnb pays the host.

You check out.

Steve.

[Matt200]

Yep, that's what I suspected. Thank you for confirming. Fortunetly I work as software engineer so I am some what attuned to spotting these types of emails. Thought I had better check, and at the very least there is a record of it here, so hopefully those who are less technically savy can avoid being scammed in a similar manner.

Now to have some fun with this guy, waste his time, and report him to the relevant authorities for attempted fraud.

Stay safe everyone! And remember, if a deal seems too good to be true, then it probably isn't true.

Matt

[Lizzie]

Hello @Matt200,

Welcome to the Community Center.

I am so pleased to you decided to check with our community about this and that you are on the look out for any possible scams, trying to get you to part with your money. 

As @Steve143 explains it does appear to be a scam, as the process he outlines isn't how Airbnb works. 

I wish you well with your house hunt and that you find somewhere lovely to live. I visited Sydney a few years ago and it is a fantastic city. 🙂

Lizzie

[Patty-And-Beckett0]

@Lizzie , why isn't Airbnb working to stop these scammers? Potential guests are blaming hosts and Airbnb, and while I'm upset Airbnb doesn't have a process to helpmhosts fight the scams, your reputation is being hurt because these guests don't trust Airbnb, given that valid Airbnb links are being used in the scam. I know, i know, if they fall for the too good tombe true deals offered for booking outside Airbnb that is their fault. But Airbnb can target the scammers by working with the defrauded and potentially defrauded guests, who would then have more confidence that Airbnb is legitimate.

[Marcos100]

It is a scam. I got the same email and he claimed to own a property in Melbourne for a very good price. 

As I requested for an inspection I got the very same email. 

He probably has several other similar ads on different cities.

I'm glad I found your message.

Thank you very much 

[Nadia147]

Hi Matt

I only just received the exact same email from the same contact. He said that he had only moved out 8th July 2017.  The rest of the email was identical to yours. Amazig how someone could be in 2 different apparments at the same time!

Thank you for sharing this. You have saved me and my family what could have possibly been a massive nightmare!

Thanks Matt!

- Nadia