Hosts Security HELP

[Marina810]

Hello All,

I came here because I wanna know if anybody already had some issue with that and also because I am worried about my parents safety (hosts)!

My parents love receive people home, we’ve been doing Airbnb for pretty much one year and during this time we just received amazing people that became part of our family! They rent a room in their house!

Two days ago a man from NZ booked the room for one month! He first sent us a message from one profile with a name and after we kindly answered all his questions he made the book through another profile! I thought was a bit strange but okay!

Finally he has arrived in our home and as my parents dont speak English to make the comunition easier (as I am in Germany at the moment and my parents in Brazil), I called my fathers phone to ask the guest if he needed anything, if he had any doubt! As my parents usually do they offer him a lunch home and they were using google translate to communicate with him! Than something awkward happened, my father could not understand was the guest was saying as he was showing documents and pictures of a construction kind of a condominium of houses, so I called his phone and the guest explained me that he was showing a condominium that some people from NZ are building in Brazil and they are looking for investor in Brazil, he explained me about different packages of prices from 20th till 200th dollars that we could invest and have the money back with profits in 6 months! I thought this was super dodge!

I said that my parents are not interested and for some peace of my mind I googled his name! For my surprise we name comes in several news around Brazil, NZ, Australia and USA and law suits number and even jail times of hundreds of people saying that he used a church’s name and steal money from day! That was a scan!

I am in another country and freaking out that my parents can be with a guest that is a criminal! 

Anybody experienced that!? How does Airbnb verified the guest and if the people we receive home are genuine! Please help me!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Marina810

Airbnb verifies nothing that's why every host should ask photo ID of everyone in the group at the arrival. This is the only way you will know who has a key to your home. I can't believe how many hosts don't do this. Even if their guest has verified ID on Airbnb you will not get it in case of robbery or anything else

Tell your parents to remove all cash from their home and to hide all the valuables like gold, jewelry etc..., not to trust this guest and of course not to buy any shares or whatever he sells.

[Marina810]

Thank you so much for the answer! Sure I already instructed my parents about not buying anything and also keep all the valuables away! I sent him a message now, as he checked in today asking for a picture of his passport! Thank you!

[Gordon0]

@Marina810 - @Branka-and-Silvia0 offer some good advice. In future, Google all would-be guests. Forewarned is forearmed. 

[Clara116]

@Marina810  this has to be really stressful for you and awful for your parents. @Branka-and-Silvia0 @Gordon0 have all given factual and real info about Airbnb and what you need to know. they are NOT vetting or checking people. 

I am sorry if I move to a more emotional, real possibility - Airbnb is a booking agent and they can not and do not protect Hosts, Police can and do that job. So please know when we are unsafe we contact Police first!!! 

This sounds very scarey to me - firstly, your folks can't communicate with this guest - we DO NOT know the persons agenda in being there for 1 month. That is a terribly long time to subject your parents to him.

I would suggest that all paperwork, their information, mail and anything personal, bank stuff or anything is locked away and not accessible to this person. If he is a criminal, he will not be following anybodies house rules, and so I think it is a very bad thing that he is there. 

If it was my parents - I would NOT be able to tolerate this in their home for one month with a scammer, crook, criminal......Perhaps he is trying to also get info and steal their ID's. Since they can NOT communicate with this person. If this person doesn't give their Passport ID, which I would be surprised if he does. I would contact local police and have them intervene that your parents are very vulernable and since this is a criminal - They DO NOT have to continue hosting this person.

After police are involved Then call Airbnb....and they must take care of all communication with guests and rehousing or whatever they do with the guests. I would suggest after police - have your parents NOT there. 

keep us posted. I hope your parents will be safe and sound and this will be over quickly.

blessings, Clara

[Marina810]

As a good advice for safety, as Airbnb does not take care checking the guest, I would advice everybody to ask for the ID of the guest before the check in and always, at least, google the name of the person and make a pre check!

Unfortnetlly, a month and a half ago I was traveling with my parents and Paris, we rented an Airbnb and someone broke into our apartment there and stole our things!

Airbnb should really take more responsibility about their acts and care much more about the security of the guests and hostes! 

I sent an message to Airbnb with all the historical of what happened with this guest and all the research that I made with his name! Security is a extremely important matter when you have someone in your home! I hope this kind of thing is not happening all the time! 

Thank you you guys for all the support I am still worried and drinking out about the situation!

[Sarah977]

@Marina810 I think you should advise your parents to contact Airbnb, tell them they are extremely uncomfortable with this guest and why, and have the reservation cancelled immediately. This person should not be in your parents' home for another day, let alone a month.

[Julie143]

You should call Airbnb and tell them what you found out about this guest. Get them to cancel his reservation. They should also remove both of his profiles from the platform, so he can’t continue to try to scam Airbnb hosts! You may need to send them copies of the news stories you found. If they give you a weak answer, keep pressing to speak with a supervisor.

In the meantime, is there any close friend or relative who could hang out at home with your parents? Just to make them and you feel more at ease?

Obviously they should lock up all of their money, valuables and documents until he’s gone.

[Clara116]

@Marina810 we are all concerned for your parents................please keep us informed that they are alright. and @Julie143 had a great idea about a friend near your parents to go and be there with them until this is over.

blessings, Clara