US: Airbnb has partnered with the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators [IAFCI] to help travellers book safely online and combat travel scams as consumers continue to make holiday plans around the world.
It comes as recent consumer research from DKC Analytics, which was commissioned by Airbnb, showed that almost half of Americans [47 per cent] have fallen for a scam, with victims losing on average $2,697 and one in five [18 per cent] losing $5,000 or more.
The consumer research also highlighted how finding deals has become increasingly important to most consumers [90 per cent] amid the cost of living crisis, leaving them more vulnerable to scams when booking trips online. Close to half [44 per cent] of Americans said that they were less vigilant about booking vacations if they thought they would be saving money, while over a third [37 per cent] would take a risk to save money, even if they thought a deal was too good to be true.
As online scams become more sophisticated with the use of technology like artificial intelligence, fraudsters may try to take advantage of those searching for a travel deal by using fake websites, texts and emails or social media to trick people into believing that they are booking with a legitimate company. Airbnb says that it wants to tackle third-party attempts to scam consumers and “exploit” its brand, and is asking users to report suspicious websites or send emails for investigation.
The home-sharing firm added that its team had “detected and mitigated almost 2,500 third-party phishing domains globally” over the last 12 months. Airbnb’s existing safeguarding measures include having dedicated teams and systems to deter scams, on-platform messaging and guest payment protections.
Tara Bunch, global head of operations at Airbnb, said: “As travellers book their vacations, we want to help them know what to look for and red flags to avoid. When it comes to booking on Airbnb, we encourage our guests to only communicate, book and pay on the platform, where we have secure processes and support like Aircover [Airbnb’s host protection] in place to help protect against scams and ensure issues are rare.”
Missy Coyne, international first vice president at the IAFCI, said: “Don’t let scammers get away with stealing what you’ve worked so hard towards. When in doubt, talk it out.
“If what they are asking you to do doesn’t make sense or seems too good to be true, talk to a trusted friend or family member before acting on the request,” added Coyne.
To help travellers avoid scams as they plan their vacations, Airbnb and the IAFCI have teamed up to offer the following advice for booking online and / or on Airbnb:
- Do not click on links in unexpected emails or texts
- Protect your passwords
- Be wary of cheap deals and pressure tactics
- Check the URL before paying
- Use a credit card for online payments
- On Airbnb, keep all communication and payment on the platform
- Check the listing reviews
Users are advised to report any concerns over scams immediately with their bank or financial institution. On Airbnb, users can report suspicious messages directly within a message thread, while listings can be reported via the ‘report this listing’ flag on the listing profile.
In June, Marnie Wilking, chief information security officer at Booking.com, issued a warning about the role that artificial intelligence [AI] is playing in the significant rise in travel scams over the last 18 months, which she estimated at “anywhere between a 500 to a 900 per cent increase”.
In particular, Wilking highlighted a noticeable increase in phishing scams – which involves internet users being duped into giving out their financial details – adding that attackers are able to use AI to “mimic emails far better than anything that they’ve done to date”.
Consumers on online booking platforms such as Booking.com and Airbnb can often be targeted by scammers as hosts or property owners list their own places to stay. Airbnb and Booking.com both have their own processes for verifying listings – Airbnb updated its listing verification process in March – but it has not prevented either platform from coming under criticism for stays that did not meet guest expectations.
Phishing scammers sometimes disappear without a trace once a person pays them [not knowing that they are paying someone with malicious intentions] and platform users are left with nowhere to stay.
Signs that could be indicative of scams or fraud include spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.
