Possible new scam: Monthly rental inquiries

[Tom109]

Hey, gang. I recently got a couple of requests from new members with no previous Airbnb stays. They specify only a couple of days in the calendar, but then send a message asking about monthly rentals. (I reject all people with no previous Airbnb experience, so my responses have ended the matter.)

Has anyone else seen this? Is it a pattern?

The appearance of two such similar, unusual requests in short succession suggests to me that it's a scam. If I were to respond positively, I suspect the next step would be for them to try to arrange offsite payment, away from Airbnb. Then the scam begins to capture my payment or private information.

--Tom

[Sheila146]

Yes this has happened to me.  I told them the apt wasn't available to be booked in this manner.

[Edwin57]

is being going around, but the best thing to do is pass it around like that no body can get scam Thank you for shareing

[Marit-Anne0]

@Tom109

Have had one of those recently, English sounding name, wants to pay by cheque, and my details sent to Kiev, Ukraine.  I just told them off like so !

For security reasons I ONLY take bookings through the site and ONLY accept on-line payments.
You will be reported for attempted fraud.

Merry Christmas.

[Tom109]

@Marit10, thanks! Did yours match the other criteria, e.g. requesting a month-long stay, reserving fewer dates in the calendar, no prior Airbnb stays?

If so, I'd love to get Airbnb's confirmation that they're tracking this pattern.

[Marit-Anne0]

@Tom109

Yes, no previous history, no profile picture or description.

My minimum stay is a week, so that was their request and no further request to stay longer. I suppose they have different tactics with different kinds of property.  Mine is a holiday home.

[Fred13]

I get these constantly, half of them via scam. Also wanting to rent 6 rooms for a group of an ridiculous  number of people. I answer them with a dot (.) so it shows I did 'answer' them.

[Helga0]

Not even a ;-(  @Fred13? 

I will copy this method with annoying inquiries 😉 

[Fred13]

The dreaded dot (.) is a show stopper, every time. 😉

[Mark26]

I've seen that exact same single digit used as a review.  I'm pretty sure it has everything to do with the requirement to leave a review after you've mashed the thumbs down button asking "Would you recommend this guest to other hosts?"

[Fred13]

Aye Mark. Imagine a 'review' consisting of a single dot.

[Ronald168]

Hi all. I just received a request for a 50 night stay. However this Person does not have any reveiws, and has sent me a message asking the possibility of renting my unit for six months. She then asks me to contact her cell via text. 

Is this a possible scam? Has anyone else experienced this before?

Thank you!

[Helga0]

You might check your monthly prices. Some airbnb reductions, especially if you don’t adapt the default percentages, result in very low prices for some periods. 

That leads to your listing being shown to a different clientele in a search for long term. An expensive place for 4 nights may be affordable for 50 to their budget. They may also believe, as it is still available for 50 nights, that you are desperate to rent it for much less even. 

If you want to do only higher prices for shorter stays, you will get bookings much closer to the arrival date. Some guests looking for longterm don’t understand that.

As for the request to contact them outside airbnb, it can be a harmless newbie suggestion or an invitation to pay outside the system, usually to save the fees and press you on the price even more. (Or a scam, where you bever get the money or your house is trashed without insurance)

Just explain the system, insist on much more information to even consider the request and you will see if they comply or move on. If they move on, you can flag the profile. It may still be a newbie giving up when it gets complicated, but if it’s a scammer who gets more flags, airbnb may realise it.