You have to understand that there are a lot of scams these days anywhere. And given the popularity of Airbnb, you will definitely see a good number of scams in this platform. Now, the problem with scams is that you will tend to have issues when it comes to refund or if you ever have complaints against the host. What you are paying for in Airbnb is the opportunity to have an intermediary between the host and the guest.

Check the Website

There are a lot of websites out there that are mimicking Airbnb. Here, you will be misled towards giving your information to the wrong people. What you have to do is to simply check the URL. Always make sure that you are on the right website before you even decide to give it a go.

Also, there are some small details that are usually present on fake Airbnb websites. For instance, there was one website wherein the address of the properties was exposed already from the get-go. Usually, it is quite common that Airbnb doesn’t show the address until you book the property.

Don’t send money directly to the host

You have to make sure that you also don’t send money to the host directly even if you are being seduced of having a cheaper rate per night. You won’t have any assurance that you are going to stay in the property. What you want to do is to use Airbnb in order to avoid any type of trouble in the long run.

Check the reviews

You have to be careful not to go after hosts that don’t have any prior reviews. Reviews will give you an idea what you are going to expect from the property. In most cases, it is disastrous if you stick to a property that you don’t have any idea if you are going to have a good experience or not. You need to read all the reviews including the negative ones in order for you to be prepared. And also, you will learn a lot about the property. Is the advertised property accurate? Does it have access to public transportation? These are just some of the things that you will be able to determine when you read the reviews.

Don’t contact the host even if the email is provided

You want to make sure that the conversation is going to take place within the Airbnb platform. This makes it easier to have a dispute in case you need Airbnb to intervene. And also, there are some hosts that will try to convince you to just transact outside the platform. This can be stressful on your part.

Though Airbnb offers convenient options for travelers, keep in mind that there are also some scams that you may encounter if you are not too careful. What you want to do is to be able to determine these scams from the get-go. Though there are some instances you can get a refund, you have to remember that you’d rather not get bothered by these scammers.