The State Police and Airbnb renew the prevention campaign to help those who approach online bookings for the first time to recognize and stay away from the most common fraud attempts. Because if booking holiday accommodation online is easy, you have to deal with the possibility of running into scam attempts.
More and more people are choosing to organize their holidays independently, and unfortunately this trend has attracted the attention of the bad guys. According to the 1st Censis-DeepCyber Report, about 65% of Italians have been the target of deceptive e-mails in an attempt to persuade potential victims to share sensitive data. Furthermore, travel and accommodation bookings are among the five digital activities that Italians consider to be at the highest risk for the security of their personal data.
“With the approach of the summer period, the number of people who book and buy travel and holidays online is constantly increasing - declares Ivano Gabrielli Director of the Postal and Communications Police Service, also thanks to the search for offers at very low cost. Unfortunately, these activities are not always immune from risks, as revealed by the fraud reports received on the Postal Police portal www.commissariatodips.it Sometimes - continues Gabrielli - one can fall into the trap of artfully counterfeited "flirtatious" sites or individuals without scruples, who advertise holiday packages at discounted prices, hiding real scams. Our goal - concludes the Director of the Postal Police - is also to help users buy in total peace of mind regardless of their level of computerization. For this reason we have created in collaboration with Airbnb an online guide to safe e-commerce with some useful tips and practical suggestions for online shopping without problems. "
“Despite 6 million active listings available globally, scam attempts are extremely rare on Airbnb and a support team is available 24/24 to support guests. The proof is that the most common frauds take place on other sites and the name of Airbnb is used to lure the potential victim because it is a brand that transmits trust ”, explains Giacomo Trova, Country Manager of Airbnb Italy. “It is important that both host-guest contacts and payments always take place within our site or application, as indicated by our terms of service. In fact, Airbnb retains the sum at the time of booking, paying it to the landlord only 24 hours after the check in has taken place ".
Here are the most common scams to stay away from
- The international negotiation: A fictitious owner who has just moved abroad cannot welcome you in person. Remote negotiation is the prelude to an international bank transfer request. He will thus begin to request documents (useful for building his next false identity), share no less than 2-3 draft contracts À la carte, in a crescendo of zeal that will culminate in the need to close the deal within 24 hours. All followed by a fake booking page, a fake invoice and a real disappearance after receiving an important deposit.
- The hide and seek: The host has created an ad on a second-hand site, or real estate, but as soon as you ask for information he will tell you to move from one channel to another; for example by proposing to you through the official app to continue the conversation by e-mail or messaging. After a few requests for details on your arrival, it will send you another e-mail informing you that due to a problem with the calendar update the advertisement is currently not visible in the search (it actually removed it), and provides you to convenience the direct link to the announcement on the portal, but it is a clone site.
- The indecent proposal: Again, the host has recently created an ad, devoid of reviews but captivating. The scammer is friendly, very kind and happy that you have chosen his house and will also offer you a nice discount. He therefore suggests canceling the booking and negotiating privately, so as to save both the portal commission. Once the transfer has been collected, the scammer will disappear.
Tips for not being deceived
- Beware of links shared via email or from other sites: Be wary of those who offer you rentals on social media, on second-hand classifieds sites or real estate portals and then take you to another portal such as Airbnb. There is a risk that they will share a link to a bogus site. Watch out for e-mails with the platform logo: they don't necessarily have to be authentic. Bookings can only be concluded from the website or app: if the email includes a request for a bank transfer, it is a scam.
- Watch out for clone sites: To book from your mobile, use the application, downloading it from the official store and not by browsing the internet. From the computer, make sure that the pages do not have a strange address and that the padlock icon is present.
- Do not communicate outside the site: Do not communicate via e-mail or through Whatsapp and be wary of those who propose to leave the portal to agree privately with the promise of a discount: it is the prelude to a request for a bank transfer. Furthermore, you will no longer be protected by the guarantees of the platform. By staying in the chat of the application, you can report suspicious behavior to customer service at any time.
- Read the ad carefully: A well-curated ad is usually an indication of a host and an equally tidy home. Attention to a too competitive price for the week of August XNUMXth, particularly vague descriptions, the total lack of reviews or a user profile created a few days ago.
- Airbnb is not a real estate agency: Be wary of those who tell you they have given the site a job to show you the house. In fact, the site is only a brokerage portal, equidistant from host and guest.
- Never pay directly by bank transfer: If you are asked to send a deposit, do not trust: it is contrary to the terms of the service. Pay exclusively by credit card on the site and in no other way. Airbnb takes the entire amount from your card and forwards it to the host only 24 hours after check-in, giving you time to arrive at your destination and verify that the house is exactly as advertised.
- Attention to the 'bait' accommodations: If once you arrive at your destination you are asked for a change of accommodation, obviously not up to the one booked, using as an excuse a sudden problem that arose in the original apartment that made it temporarily unusable, the thing best is to document everything and contact the platform immediately for a full refund.