@Poul-Winther0
It may be a scam. Maybe not!
Whenever I get a request from a guest new to the platform, I ask questions to get acquainted. Sometimes this guest is experienced, but all her trips were with someone who booked them as a party of two or three. I have traveled that way, and have several of my friends.
I have had many guests from China, and they are among my best guests. Some are repeat guests and always welcome back. I have also done home stays in China, they are the most wonderful hosts.
About name changing - this may or may not be the case, as I do not know what she wrote. Chinese language puts the surname first, the person's first name last. Many people do not understand this, so to be more clear the person may switch them to make them more western. They also may choose a western first name, which throws more confusion to new acquaintances. There are so many potential culture and language issues that can confuse the situation. One thing that I can count on is that my Asian guests are polite and respectful.
If I were in your position, and the request falls within my limits, seems compatible with your place, I'd get acquainted with the potential guest. I have a home share so problems don't happen for the most part. Ask a lot of questions, find out what their purpose of visit is. Find out their goals and expectations. Be their host, concierge.
If these questions don't have the hoped for results, then perhaps you have a less than legitimate person requesting. You may also find that you've opened the door to a wonderful exchange. It could go either way. I'd love to hear how this works out!
@Flavia-Lacerda0
Unscrupulous persons do target new hosts, that is true. These folks reveal themselves rather quickly by their tendency to not play by the rules. That includes suggesting going off platform for communication or payment, for example. Another common red flag is the intention to receive mail and deliveries there. You can imagine the rest.
I don't immediately go to suspicion as I am a lifelong independent international traveler, who loves hosting others of my sort.
