Possible scam / scammer guests watch out!

[Sabrina746]

Not sure if this will help anyone but I just got a message like this, and when I used to host on another hosting site (VRBO) I got some scams like this that tried to get me to contact outside of the site and the site immediately provided tells and examples that scammers use so that we can report them. This 100% is a scam. This account was just made this month.

I reported the account of course, but I’m wondering if a message like this will affect my response/acceptance rate on AirBnB? They put 0 guests in the inquiry, and want it for 22 days. No verified email, no gov ID on the account, nothing but the name and acct creation month and year (April 2020). Obviously, I have to either decline or not answer. 

This is a message I just got in the middle of a lockdown in my city because of the pandemic: 

“Hi ...l am Airlike! 1'm going to have a business trip to Los Angeles. I was looking through Airbnb to find some apartments there and wouldd like to book your apartment But tthere is one moment tthat 1 would like to share with you I have decided actually not to stay in your apartment upon arrival my g00d oldd friend is going tto hhost me instead. What I am thinking about is to stay at my friend's house once I'm there instead of checking into your apartment. Here's my suggestion. BoOk your apartmentt, never move into it and just share the renta1 fe3 my emp1oyer is going to pay as a part of my business trip expenses. There's notthing for you tto worryy aboutt. If you are interested p1ease gett bback tto me s0on. Text me in VVha ts ap p. My numbra is ...”

[Lesley1]

I got the same request in  Australia only he called

himself Jack. Exact wording. Reported guest profile to Airbnb. It’s a world wide scam. 

[Kentaro-and-Family0]

The same here in Tokyo, thanks for sharing this information. I reported it too.

[Luxe1]

Thank you fellow hosts for taking the time to detail your experience with this scam. Just received the exact same scam via the airbnb app. An inquiry from a prospective guest with a profile created this month, no previous reviews, under name "Jessica Brown". Phone number listed (spelled phonetically) is Ukraine area code and requested to contact via a popular picture/video call app (WhatsApp). Everything else is identical - the business trip reason for travel, getting employer to pay, staying with a good old friend instead and me (the host) getting "some money for doing nothing". I reported it via the airbnb app and declined. Curious as to the rip-off angle. I don't think the scam is to rob my place because you wouldn't get past security unless you were a confirmed paying guest, and there are caretakers on the property once you are onsite. I think it is likely to get ahold of my credit card and/or bank account info somehow...but not sure how as I wouldn't ever disclose this info.