Enquiries from people looking for "exact address" - possible spam?

[Nikita0]

Has anyone had issue lately receiving multiple enquiries from people looking for your "exact address"?

This started happening to me last week. The first message I thought was a bit odd, since you can see the general area on my listing. The woman wanted a google maps link to the exact location. I declined to send that, and just told her the major intersection. No response. Now, this has happened a few times. All similar situations - a person sends an inquiry for a large chunk of days. The profile looks legitimate, and has some verified info like Facebook and email but no verified ID or reviews. They ask for exact address or street my place is on, which I don't give them, then don't respond to my messages.

Are these real enquiries, or are they spam messages? Has anyone else had experiences like this?

[Dante5]

People may also want your address for visa and entry purposes. When you enter Japan your technically required to give an address and phone number of the place that you are going to be staying.

While it might be strange that someone asks you for your exact address before booking with you, I wouldn't too paranoid about it. After all your address is pretty much useless information by itself. However, It depends on the context and how you feel. You should do what you thinks best. Yet, what are the real dangers associated with this kind of information? I can't really think of any of the top of the head.

I would quickly report and decline anyone host who asked for credit card information, ID/passport, bank information, and things of that nature.

[Dante5]

All in all, I wouldn't give an address until someone has confirmed a booking with me. If someone asks for address before booking just kindly decline their request, and tell them if they want to see the area they can look at the photos of the area on your profile. Tell them that once they have a booked with you they will be able see this information for immigration purposes, etc.

[Jim-and-David0]

I use the nearest intersection for reference. 

[Samir14]

Hey Nikita! I wanted to reply to your situation because I am also in Toronto, and I received two such inquiries in the last week alone. Largely unverified guests asking for my exact address. I declined both times. I wonder if it's a local Toronto-based scam? Have you received any more such inquiries in the last year? Thanks!

[Kat100]

Yes, I'm feeling slightly concerned too. I'm in BC, and I've gotten a request from a Toronto person, who just verified his details today on his account, but in conversation he seems particularly pushy about the exact address. 

[Deborah236]

Hey @Nikita0 did you ever figure this out? I know this is an older post but I have been getting something very similar. I had 6 messages in one day all in a row asking for my address. I then get a message from someone stating that she is being hired from 'amazon mechanical turk' to find my address and would get paid for each profile she received an address. She told me that she felt really uncomfortable with this and wanted to make me aware. Have you heard of anything like this? I think it's so weird and a little scary. 

[Leela9]

So I am trying to book a place to stay near to where my son is getting married, but since I can't see the addresses of any places, I can't figure out how far away they are from his place. This seems a little unreasonable to me.

[Marit-Anne0]

@Leela9 

You can message potential hosts and ask them how far they are from the wedding venue.  The map search is reasonably accurate, so finding hosts in the vicinity should not be too difficult.

[Cara-P0]

I have had this before I chose not to give exact address. There are a lot of very strange people in the world who are up to no good. I can’t judge this virtually. So I protect myself.  I ask them for the address of the place they need to go to, and then do a google maps search and tell them exactly how close the two locations are.

[Heather787]

I have now stayed at 4 different locations and none of them have been precise in their address.  This is most annoying.  Currently in Spain and I am 3.5 miles away from town when in the blurb it was 5 minutes to town - yes by car!  I don't have a car.  Even when I book the airbnb I don't get the exact address until 3 days before leaving.  Too late.

If I book a hotel I know the exact location - not "somewhere in Oxford Street, London" or "somewhere in Fifth Avenue, NY".

I travel on my own mainly and I need to know, believe me