WiFi hacked - illegal content

[Jana27]

I had a guest hack my WiFi and download illegal content. He used a third of my allotment in 2 days. Internet costs are high in Alaska and have caps unlike the lower 48. I got an email from my provider the day after he left. I had a GCI tech come to my house and upgrade my modem. He was able to log in and see what the guest did. (He also helped me tighten security on my set up.) I have a separate guest password and access from my admin access. He hacked into the admin side and downloaded movies from illegal sources. I called and reported him to Airbnb. They will not do anything about it. I think he should be thrown off of the platform. That is a blatant illegal act. I have now added it to my rules page. It feels like I am adding, “Do not break the law; Do not steal from your host.” Kind of obvious isn’t it? I will file a claim for a third of my internet charge and see what happens. 

[Anonymous]

@Jana27  I've had a very lengthy correspondence with Airbnb over this very topic, and the rep from Trust & Safety made it quite clear that they will not mediate in any capacity over issues related to downloading. Money quote:

"While we understand that you're facing fines associated with illegal downloading, we're regrettably unable to offer any compensation with respect to these fines. As per our Terms of Service, we are excluded from liability with respect to loss of data or any related fines or fees, or incidental, special, or exemplary, or consequential losses of this nature"

You do have the opportunity to use your review to make it difficult for the guest to book again, but you'll have to stop short of making a direct accusation of illegal conduct if you want the review to stay up. 

[Vicky383]

@Jana27 Sorry it happened to you. It's unacceptable what the guest did on your network and the consequence you had to endure. 

It should be even harder for any disgruntled guests to hack your Wifi and download lots of stuff now you've strengthened the security. What I do for my home network is set up guest wifi and that way you can lower the bandwidth of the guest network. The guest will have a slower speed and would not eat up your allotment.

Set up Guest Networks and VPN for Airbnb

https://whatitsreallyliketo.com/wurstbnb/how-to-set-up-guest-network-and-vpn/

Your review of the guest will definitely have an impact on his future bookings and help other hosts. Thank you for speaking up!