New scam targeting Airbnb accounts, charging thousands for fake bookings – FOX13 News Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – New scam targets Airbnb accounts by charging people with non-refundable bookings in fake rental destinations and then canceling them.

After canceling these bogus bookings, some people are having trouble accessing their Airbnb accounts. Some users also check their bank statements and find they were charged between $ 1,500 and $ 2,000 for bogus reservations they didn’t book.

About 2,600 travelers used Airbnbs for Memphis’s first week in May and that’s just a glimpse of what’s to come this summer.

But now Airbnb users are the latest target of a new scam.

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“Scammers know people are going to look for vacation sites, so they’re going to be looking to try and steal some of that money out of their pockets,” said Nancy Crawford, director of marketing at the Better Business Bureau of the Mid. -South.

In this scam, Airbnb accounts were accessed using the correct login credentials, which were compromised elsewhere, possibly through a phishing email.

“Anytime you get an email that says click here to repair and create an account or click here, your account is going to be terminated, don’t click there – that’s the first rule,” Crawford said.

An Airbnb spokesperson told FOX13 that these recent cases were isolated incidents and there were no cases in Tennessee.

“At no time was the Airbnb platform compromised. We have robust systems in place to protect user accounts and our team of trust and security experts are working hard to constantly strengthen our defenses, ”an Airbnb spokesperson said in a statement.

Crawford said that whenever you make a reservation with Airbnb or other rental sites, you should always use a credit card because it is the most secure.

“If you paid with a debit card and inadvertently pay a scammer or scammer, they have your bank account wiped out. So be very careful how you pay, ”she said.

In this scam, some people saw their Airbnb accounts deleted and therefore had problems reaching the help desk. Crawford said you can file complaints with the BBB and they will contact Airbnb for you.

Airbnb tips and tricks for its customers:

1. If you land on a site that looks like Airbnb through an email link or some other type of redirect, make sure the address contains “https: //” and doesn’t contain any weird extra characters or words. The main body of the address should simply read “airbnb.com”. For example, “airbnb-bookings.com” or “Airbnb1.com” are all invalid web addresses. If in doubt, you can always type “https://www.airbnb.com” directly into your browser to access the Airbnb website.
2. Beware of emails that ask you to click on a link and enter personal and sensitive information. Email filters are becoming more and more effective at filtering out malicious content, but they will never be perfect. Staying in the know and keeping a watchful eye on those bogus emails or malicious sites will always be your best defense.
3. Beware of emails that have a false sense of urgency. For example, “Unless you click this link, your Airbnb account will be disabled” or “Your account has been compromised, click here to view details. Phrases like these should be an indication, especially if they are not from a recognized @ airbnb.com email address. We provide information on our website on how to identify if an email is from Airbnb.
4. Protect yourself, your payment and your personal information by staying on our secure platform throughout the process, from communication to booking and payment. You should never be asked to wire money, provide credit card information, or pay a host directly. If a user receives a personal email from someone (including an automated email [email protected] or any other email address [email protected]) asking them to pay or accept payment out of site, report it to us immediately and end communication with the sender.

Cox Media Group