Scammers - what is the catch?

[Jelena3]

hi,

i've got contacted by a few scammers recently. they are all from poland!

and just now a gril that is contacting me seems to be a scam too (and from poland).

it goes like this -

they ask whether the dates are free..

then they ask something else, anything (including - "what is for breakfast?")..

but they do not request to book.

i have an impression that they are trying to get pre-approved for booking.

when someone gets pre-approved, do they get the host's address?

thanks

jelena

[Elizabeth--Lysa--And-Don0]

No, they don't get your address until they actually book.  I have had the Polish scam, too, but this was through VRBO.  First they booked, then they told me they couldn't use a credit card because it was "not secure" in Poland.  Then they said they would send a check by express mail & to let them know as soon as it arrived.  Then they told me that the check had been issued by their employer and that a mistake had been made, and the check had been issued for the lodging amount as well as their travel expenses.  I started to get suspicious then as they wanted me to send them a check back for their travel expenses.  I deposited the check & waited.  Sure enough the check bounced.  I alerted VRBO and found that this had been going on for some time, but VRBO hadn't alerted their owners  Not good!

[Mark-SL0]

I have had similar from different countries - its not just the Polish locations that scam!  

- I have had questions relating to the "exact" location of the property when the map provided is very accurate.  They usually include a google map "looking" URL (which isn't) to click on.  As I am skeptical I didn't click with my PC but did on my mobile.  I don't charge the mobile via my PC.  I have a photo of my welcoming front door (as recommended by Airbnb!!!) but that means from Street View they know which house it is - and when it is empty....  I have removed the photos of the front door from the website. 

 - Another scam is similar to the one mentioned here.  The "my company will pay for the rent but I don't know if my wife will be able to get time off to travel with me.  If she cant come I want you to refund say 80%".  I immediately became suspicious because the person(or the telephone number) was from Rhode Island and he wanted to stay for two weeks in a relatively obscure part of the UK.  Two weeks would be virtually all his annual leave entitlement and he didn't want to spend it in London with no explanation.  A trip like this would involve planning and his wife would be involved in that so her holidays would be organised.  That they wouldn't know if she would get approval until 24-72 hours before checkin was the clincher.  It would take about 15 hours travelling between his home and my place.

Does Airbnb provide examples of the sort of scams to avoid or do they just throw new hosts in the deep end and let them sort it out.  Good news for scammers and Airbnb but not for the people the rely on to generate their revenue.