suspected phishing attempt

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suspected phishing attempt

recently we communicated with one person about booking a flat, not via Airbnb (at all, booking attempt was on another site, but this person mention Airbnb, so that's why I'm here), I suspect, that this is a fraud or phishing since I can't find anything similar in Airbnb help. Could you please advise?

Here is the part of email:

"

I am ready to send you the keys so that you can visit it and see that it meets your needs. The key delivery and display approval (signed by me) is made with Airbnb to ensure that we can trust each other. 
To secure your booking, you must confirm the payment to Airbnb. 
In terms of pa yment, that's how they process for payment: 
All you have to do is send a deposit in a blocked Airbnb account. (No one touches your money until you arrive at my apartment and until you confirm that you're satisfied, that's their policy.
You will not release the money until you arrive at my apartment and then decide to keep it. If you are not satisfied with the apartment, Airbnb will release the money (in full) back to you the same day. 
It is clear and simple. All I want is to be sure. 
To make the booking, I need your full name, full address (street, city, zip code and country), telephone number (I also need a copy of your ID or passport to complete the rental agreement). After receiving your information, I will send to Airbnb. Then they will email you all the information you need to continue the transaction at your end.

", and "

I have no Airbnb flat and no profile there, I use airbnb just because it is a trusted company, so we have to do as we mentioned in the previous mail. I am waiting for your lease details and you will be contacted by airbnb.

"

1 Best Answer
Steve143
Level 10
Limerick, Ireland

Hello @Timothy81,

It most definitely is a scam. They don't do the booking through the other site, they say that they don't have an Airbnb profile yet mention Airbnb all over the place and ask that you send money to some account. By ostentatiously mentioning Airbnb and trust they're just trying to give the impression of trustworthyness.

 

To operate through Airbnb they must have a profile any you must pay Airbnb from your card so Airbnb pays them later after you check in.

 

Avoid this person.

 

Steve.

View Best Answer in original post

6 Replies 6
Steve143
Level 10
Limerick, Ireland

Hello @Timothy81,

It most definitely is a scam. They don't do the booking through the other site, they say that they don't have an Airbnb profile yet mention Airbnb all over the place and ask that you send money to some account. By ostentatiously mentioning Airbnb and trust they're just trying to give the impression of trustworthyness.

 

To operate through Airbnb they must have a profile any you must pay Airbnb from your card so Airbnb pays them later after you check in.

 

Avoid this person.

 

Steve.

Thx, I was pretty sure that this is a scam!

I asked just in case I missed something at Airbnb 🙂

Cormac0
Level 10
Kraków, Poland

@Timothy

 

Why does he have to trust you? he has a Flat and you want to rent it, so whats the point in going through the rigmarole of not having an Airbnb account for the property but at the same time sending money to a Blocked Airbnb account, it does not take much parsing to realise its complete nonsense even to someone with limited knowledge of how Airbnb works.

 

Have some fun with this jerk, request him to send you a stamped addressed envelope with $50 in it so that you can complete the paperwork he requires also ask him if there in a gun range in the locality as you very fond of shooting large targets.

 

Regards

Cormac

Welcome0
Level 10
Hicksville, NY

I also suspect I was being scammed by someone  named Jamaal. He wanted my apartment for 17 days from January 3rd to January 20th for 4 people. One adult, 3 children. I was being offered more money than was needed to book the place. He had no profile picture, no lady name, no background check, no location, no verification. I asked him and Airbnb to supply additional info before I could consider approving him.

I didn't get a response from Jamaal nor from Airbnb. What is going on?!? 

I meant to say, no last name! No surname! 

Martin0
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

I have had three emails in the form below. This is the latest exampme and, if I clicked on the View Host Review tab, or previously Respond tab, it takes me straight to a page requesting me to log in to my Airbnb account. The sender has used an email address that is not registered with Airbnb, using, rather, my personal email address so I know that it has not come via the Airbnb web pages. I have blocked the sender and reported it to the Airbnb Phishing team.

 

This is the latest example. It is obviously made up of pre-copied and pasted sections, hence the grid lines:

 
From: Airbnb  (this shows that the sender is based in Germany - it had a .de suffix to the From address but I cannot  print it in full because Airbnb do not allow URL's here!)
Sent: Sunday, 17 March 2019, 08:43:17 GMT
Subject: Reservation request for Nov 10, 2019 - Nov 25, 2019
 
Airbnb
Hi ,
Hello My name is Nils i am coming from Norway , i was about to book your place but my wife notice a review on your profile that can affect our Trip , please see bellow the review that i am talking about :
Let us know if that is true or no , as we want to book your place today
View Host Review
 
Thank you,
The Airbnb Team