Vacation season is here which means getting a nice vacation rental, but beware, there are a lot of scams out there on vacation rental sites like Airbnb. Our friends at Cheapism.com have listed out some red flags to look out for when booking your next stay.
1. Fake Listings
Some Airbnb listings are completely bogus. Scammers use tools like “Land Lordz” to mass-create fake listings.
Tip: Be cautious of new listings with no reviews—while not all are scams, all scams are typically new. Watch for blurry images, poor grammar, or strange wording.
2. Fake Reviews
Hosts may use fake accounts or bots to post glowing reviews. They sometimes copy reviews from other properties.
Tip: Read reviews critically. Look for odd timing (many reviews posted closely together) and try to find at least one negative review—it often indicates authenticity.
3. Fake Photos
Scammers may use stock photos to make the property look better than it is.
Tip: Do a reverse image search on photos. If the image is found elsewhere (like stock photo sites), it’s likely a scam
