Scams Targeting Hosts

[Dawn1117]

Today I received a second pre-approval request in as many days of a new to AirBNB guest with a booking of 1-3 people in a house w/5 bedrooms. The first was translated from Chinese (guest name “F” but AirBNB verified) requesting a one month booking for 3 and to do a video preview of the house. It is likely they wanted to post the house and scam someone else. I contacted Support and they said providing a video is 100% up to the host and if I don’t want to do it, I can decline and refer them to reach out to Support for any additional questions about my property, which I did. No response back. 

The one that came today is a pre-approval booking for two days for one person (again for a house that sleeps up to 10). It says they are casting a TV show about AirBNBs around the world and want to send me more info here. I declined and reported as suspicious activity.

It is sad how these people are trying to scam renters and trying to use hosts to make it possible.

Stay vigilant!

[Alicia753]

Hi Dawn,

It’s important to stay alert to potential scams on Airbnb. If you receive unusual requests, such as video tours or inquiries from unverified profiles, proceed with caution. Scammers often use these tactics to gather property details for unauthorized purposes.

Always keep communication on Airbnb’s platform—this ensures a record of interactions and provides protection if a dispute arises. For requests that seem odd, like a one-person booking in a large house or someone claiming to scout for TV shows, trust your instincts. Politely reply to their message to keep up with the response rate, then decline the request and report it as suspicious.

By staying vigilant and leveraging Airbnb’s reporting tools, you help maintain a safer hosting community for everyone. Protect your property by prioritizing security and following platform guidelines.

I hope this also helps.

All the best,

Upfish Management

[Paula]

Thank you so much for sharing this with our community, @Dawn1117 

This will certainly help many hosts to learn from this experience and to be vigilant with similar future booking requests.

Regards,