Fraud Possibility

[Nadea0]

Please can someone help. I had a guest contact me yesterday asking why her booking for June have been cancelled after she paid R6800 to secure the booking. 

I've had NO contact with this quest whatsover and was the firts word I heard about a booking for those dates. I told her that I don't understand as I've not had any conversation with her before  - she then said that AirBnB supposedly told her that they will refund her in 15 days. Both of us have now tried to contact AirBnb to find out if my account has been hacked and/ or if she has been victim of a scam somehow. I cannot seem to find a contact phone number to contact airBnb and they are not getting back to me after flagging her message trying to bring this to their attention. Please can someone tell me what to do. We've only started hosting a property in Dec 2017 so am fairly new to this. thanks. nadea

[Marzena4]

One simple question, @Nadea0: have you ever received any inquiry/booking from that guest? If not, and nothing like that is in your history of transactions, ignore it. It is that guest who's trying to cheat you.

[Nadea0]

Hi Marzena. I'm not sure. I've never heard from her and it's her first time using airbnb. I think she has been scammed and am worried that someone is using my profile and know

one from AirBnb is getting back to me. 

[Rene-and-Zac0]

@Nadea0 If the guest was dealing with a scam, they would be dealing with the scammer exclusive up until the point when they show up on your door step and there is no booking for them.

The scammers isolate the guest away from host for as long as possible.

If a guest is being scammed, they don’t flip flop between scammer and legitimate host. 

If this guest has been dealing with and booking a property, they would have a confirmation.

Ask them to screen shot the booking confirmation and send it to you.

Also ask EXACTLY how did the guest pay for the reservation. If they paid by email, bank transfer or any other way, they were scammed. If they paid any other way besides Airbnb, it’s a scam. 

Don’t fall for it, they are trying to play you for a fool because you’re new to Airbnb. 

‘You know it’s hard out here for a Host ‘

[David126]

@Nadea0

You do not do anything, let the 'guest' resolve it with AirBnB.

[Matthew285]

@Nadea0 the advice the others are providing is good.

The guest should be contacting AirBnB directly; you are not involved.

Since you have had zero contact with this guest prior to this, and you show no booking or even inquiry from this person, this is not your problem.

Your involvement will not and can not help; it could only expose you to the risk of being scammed yourself.

Tell the guest that the only people who can help them is AirBnB. If the guest has actually paid money, AirBnB has the money. You do not have any of their money, and so you cannot refund them any money.

If they are wondering what happened with their reservation: you have zero information about that. Only AirBnB would have that information (if indeed the guest ever had a booking with AirBnB).

Help the guest contact AirBnb, and do not provide the guest with any personal information.

Certainly do not send them any money.