- Airbnb scams have increased 30-fold since 2023, including a sharp increase this year
- Criminals hijack legitimate host accounts to deceive tourists
- Staying secure isn’t so simple as threats evolve
Airbnb-related scam activity has increased 30-fold since the first half of 2023, according to new research from Saily and NordStellar, confirming that cybercriminals continue to pursue tourists looking for the best deals amid rising prices.
Ultimately, the report concludes that attackers are now targeting the trust created by larger platforms, saving them from having to build new identities from scratch.
And to top it all off, the nature of scams is also changing, as instead of using shady websites to obtain payments or information from victims, criminals are now targeting legitimate accounts of Airbnb hosts who have spent years accumulating positive reviews and high ratings.
Exploit legitimate accounts and hijack trust
While the ultimate goal remains a large volume of vulnerable consumers, scammers have added an additional layer of victims to their pipeline. Verified Airbnb hosts are now valuable assets for criminals because they already have identity verifications, positive reviews, booking histories, years of business, and established credibility.
Once the verified account is compromised, attackers can scam larger volumes of unsuspecting victims by posting (and charging for) fake property listings.
“Travelers are getting better at spotting obvious scams,” said Saily, product manager, Matas Cenys. “Criminals know this, which is why they are increasingly trying to steal trust instead of building false trust from scratch.”
However, what differentiates this type of attack from others is that the victims never leave the platform. Instead of falling victim to phishing attacks and being redirected to malicious external sites, they fully interact with supposedly legitimate hosts on the Airbnb platform.
While attacks on Airbnb have increased 30-fold in about three years, with a sharp increase in the last year alone, they reflect a much broader trend of attackers compromising existing trusted accounts.
The recent increase in attacks could also be related to the summer season, as tourists look to book last-minute deals in the run-up to the summer season. Urgency and pressure to keep costs down also contribute to criminals’ success.
“Everything seems normal until they reach their destination and discover that the accommodation never existed,” added Cenys.
How to protect yourself from booking scams
Saily recommends that all communication remain within the booking platform and that customers avoid suggested payment methods outside of official channels. Unusually attractive listings in high-demand destinations can also be taken with a grain of salt, and savvy buyers may choose to perform a reverse image search of a property to verify its authenticity.
“As travel bookings become increasingly digital, trust becomes one of the most valuable currencies in the travel ecosystem,” Cenys warned.
Regarding the abuse of victims’ trust, researchers also argue that AI has aided attacks by allowing criminals to produce fake lists better and faster.
More broadly, Airbnb revealed that two in five Americans have been victims of an online scam, with an average loss of nearly $2,000. The company has introduced measures to remind its users how to avoid scams, including introducing identity verification and reminders not to leave the platform, but account takeovers can still go undetected.
Airbnb also holds guest payments for up to 24 hours after check-in to ensure everything is as described. Anti-fraud technology also prevented around 265,000 suspicious listings from appearing on the platform in 2025, the company boasted.
The company published a comprehensive eight-step list on how to avoid scams on its online platform, highlighting pressure tactics and unusual deals.
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