AirBnb Fraudulent Listing

[Jenny Bayless]

I wanted to share an interesting experience that happened this evening regarding fraud on Airbnb.  I received a phone call from our tenants stating that a man had parked in their driveway expecting to come stay in the house.  When they asked what he was doing, he pulled out his phone that had a confirmed Airbnb listing to stay at the home (address listed on the reservation) this evening.  They obviously did not let him in, but did call to inform me of what just happened.  The tenants are on a regular 2-year lease, and neither myself nor them have ever placed the listing on the website.  The listing created was using fake pictures but a real address, and the fraudster did in fact collect funds from the hopeful tenant.  

I called the Airbnb helpline and it is now a pending fraud case, but just wanted to share the story so that others may be aware.