Airbnb scams multiply: how to spot fraud this summer

With the arrival of summer, accommodation bookings surge, and with them, Airbnb scams. A report by Saily and NordStellar reveals that fraudulent activity related to Airbnb has multiplied by 30 since the first half of 2023. The technique has evolved: cybercriminals no longer create fake profiles from scratch, but hijack verified host accounts with years of positive reviews and high ratings to post listings for non-existent properties. This increase is not linear: the report notes a particularly sharp uptick in the last year, coinciding with the summer season when travelers look for last-minute deals. According to TechRadar, attackers now target the trust built by platforms, saving themselves the effort of creating identities from scratch. Verified host accounts have become valuable assets for criminals, as they have identity verification, positive reviews, booking history, years of activity, and established credibility.

What happened?

According to the report, attacks have increased sharply in the last year, coinciding with the summer season. Criminals compromise legitimate Airbnb accounts through phishing or credential theft, and then use them to scam travelers looking for last-minute deals. The victim never leaves the platform: they make the reservation and payment within Airbnb, making detection difficult. "Everything seems normal until they arrive at their destination and discover the accommodation never existed," explains Matas Cenys, head of product at Saily. Unlike previous scams that redirected to external sites, here the interaction is entirely within Airbnb, making the transaction appear legitimate. The NordStellar report details that attackers use phishing techniques to obtain host credentials, or resort to previous data breaches. Once inside, they modify existing listings or create new ones for fictitious properties, often with attractive prices to maximize bookings. Artificial intelligence also plays a role: scammers generate more convincing descriptions and photographs, hard to distinguish from real ones. This modus operandi has led to a 30-fold increase in fraudulent activity since 2023, with a peak in the last year that may be linked to the summer season, according to TechRadar.

Why is it important?

This type of fraud exploits the trust users place in reviews and identity verification. By hijacking accounts with history, scammers avoid traditional red flags, such as new profiles or no reviews. Additionally, artificial intelligence allows them to generate more convincing descriptions and photos. The economic impact is significant: according to Airbnb, two out of five Americans have been victims of some online scam, with an average loss of nearly $2,000. But beyond the economic damage, there is the erosion of trust in the review system, which is the cornerstone of platforms like Airbnb. A 2022 Harvard University study already showed that fake reviews can inflate prices by up to 15%, and this new type of fraud directly attacks the credibility of verified accounts. Trust is not easily regained: once a user falls victim to a scam, they are less likely to use the platform again. Moreover, the fraud not only affects travelers but also legitimate hosts, whose accounts are stolen and may suffer reputational damage and even legal issues if they do not report it in time.

Consequences for the sector

Trust is the most valuable currency in the digital travel ecosystem, warns Cenys. If users begin to distrust reviews and verified accounts, the business model of platforms like Airbnb weakens. The company has implemented measures such as identity verification and holding payments for up to 24 hours after check-in, but compromised accounts can bypass these controls. Furthermore, fraud through hijacked accounts is not exclusive to Airbnb: the NordStellar report notes that this trend is increasing across all collaborative economy platforms, such as Uber, Booking.com, or Vrbo. This represents a systemic challenge for the sector, as traditional trust mechanisms (reviews, verification) become vulnerable. Long-term consequences could include increased government regulation, as already seen in the European Union with the Digital Services Act, which requires platforms to exercise greater diligence in identity verification. Airbnb, for its part, has invested in artificial intelligence to detect suspicious patterns, but cybercriminals also use AI to evade these systems. It is a technological arms race.

What readers should know

To protect themselves, experts recommend:

• Keep all communication within the Airbnb platform.
• Do not make payments outside official channels.
• Be wary of overly attractive deals in popular destinations.
• Perform a reverse image search to verify the authenticity of photos.
• Avoid last-minute bookings under pressure.

Additionally, it is crucial to use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication to protect your own Airbnb account. Other measures include reviewing the host's review history: if a host with years of activity has reviews that seem generic or written in a similar style, it could be a red flag. It is also advisable to contact the host directly through the platform to ask specific questions about the property; scammers often give vague answers. Finally, travelers should pay attention to cancellation policies: fraudulent listings often have very restrictive or very flexible policies to avoid suspicion. Awareness and caution are the best defenses, but the responsibility should not fall solely on users: platforms must strengthen their verification systems and rapid response to complaints.

"Travelers are getting better at detecting obvious scams. Criminals know this, so they try to steal trust rather than build it from scratch," says Cenys.

The report emphasizes that the trend goes beyond Airbnb: attacks via compromised accounts are on the rise across all platforms. Awareness and caution are the best defenses, but it is also necessary for companies to invest in proactive security. Meanwhile, travelers must take extra precautions, especially during peak season. Technology advances, but so do scams; the only constant is the need to distrust what seems too good to be true.