Scam/fake inquiry of vrbo property ??

[Nick M.]

So we received our first inquiry for a booking on vrbo…. Obviously very excited … But it looks suspicious to me - does this inquiry seem like some kind of scam or the beginning of a scam?? They are asking me to call them… see message below:

“We are very interested in your property and would like more information, particularly about the proximity of the amenities to the location. Could you kindly get back to us with the details? If possible, please connect me on nmber by following the instructions below:Please remove the fruit from the list and use the nmbers to reach me7 Apples 7 Kumquats 3 Bananas 7 Raspberries 4 Blueberries 7 Blackberries 6 Lemons 2 Oranges 3 Limes 2 Grapes”

[Lauren Kormylo]

Quote from @Nick M.:

@Michael Baum

I asked them (via vrbo) what specifically they would like to joke about after thanking them for the inquiry and that we would be happy to answer any questions they may have - and no response from them after 8 hours of me responding to them. I marked it spam as I saw the time on the inquiry ticking.

Is there a specific duration I should be pre-approving an inquiry within? 24 hrs maybe

Also noticed they were a member since 2025 - and no feedback.

I am new also but their lack of response and cryptic message was a bit concerning…so I sent it to spam.

Thanks for your input

You don't need to ever pre-approve an "inquiry".  There is no advantage to that, only disadvantages. Vrbo used to block your calendar for 72 hours when you did that.  Now I've heard they will leave it open to other bookings from Vrbo, but block other platform calendars that you have synced to yours, so they will block your Airbnb calendar for that time.  You don't want your calendar blocked at all, you may lose a booking from someone else.
 
With inquiries, you're only required to respond to them with a message. So just do that.
With booking requests, you do have to approve or disapprove.
Since you're new, you should familiarize yourself with the platforms' penalties for cancellations, because there are hefty charges.  You don't ever want to double book and have to cancel one of them.

And the guest giving a phone number in the first message like in your original post is against the rules and the guest knows it.  That's why they wrote it they way they did.  It automatically needs to be reported to Vrbo, not after waiting 8 hours to see if they respond.  You can't send a prospective guest your number either (until after they book and pay).  You can't tell them to find you outside of Vrbo another way, like telling them to Google a name.  Vrbo and Airbnb do not play around when they see you taking direct bookings from guests who found you through their platforms.  They will ban you and you'll never be allowed back on the platform.