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This tutorial will show you how you can build your very own Cloud Code module and integrate with third-party APIs. We'll take an in-depth tour of the Mailgun Cloud Module and see how you can apply the same techniques to create your own.
Download code for this tutorial:GitHub
Integrating third-party services in your Parse app is really easy using Cloud Modules. But if a Cloud Module is not yet available for a service you are interested in, you can create your own module. In this tutorial, we'll take a look at how you would create your own module, using the Mailgun Cloud Module as an example. If you are not familiar with Mailgun, take a look at their website to learn more about what they offer. The Mailgun feature most relevant to this tutorial is the ability to send emails.
Before we begin, remember that Cloud Modules are no different than the modules you create yourself. They've simply been made readily available to all Parse users and don't need to be manually added to your
cloud/ folder.
JavaScript has long lacked the ability organize code into multiple files. To solve this problem, the CommonJS modules standard was created. Along with many JavaScript libraries and services, Cloud Code uses this standard to allow creating more modular JavaScript projects.
All of the JavaScript modules you want to use in Cloud Code must be placed in the
cloud/ directory. To include a module in your project you can use the
require("/path/to/module") method.
var myModule = require('cloud/myModule.js');
To include a Cloud Module (a module hosted by Parse and made available to everyone), you can simply provide its name and Parse will take care of the rest.
var Mailgun = require('mailgun');
exports Object
require function returns an object automatically created in all modules called
exports. When you create a module you use this
exports object to define the set of functionality that will be available to users of your module. Take a look at this simple example.
// myMathModule.js exports.addTwoNumbers = function(x, y) { return x+y; } // cloud.js var math = require('cloud/myMathModule.js'); console.log('3 + 4 is ' + math.addTwoNumbers(3,4));
You don't need to declare or create the
exports object anywhere. It is always available when creating modules. All fields and functions added to the
exports object are handed down by the
require function. This means that anything not set on the
exports object remains private to the module. In the following example, the value of PI is not directly accessible from
// myMathModule.js var PI = 3.14; // Private exports.getPI() { // Public return PI; } // cloud.js var math = require('cloud/myMathModule.js'); console.log(math.PI); // Doesn't work! console.log(math.getPI()); // Works!
Now that we have a good understanding of modules, let's dive into the Mailgun Cloud Module and take a look at how to implement something similar. Our module won't be hosted by Parse and will instead be placed in the
cloud/ directory.
The first part of the module is the
initialize method. Since most services will require users to provide credentials, creating an
initialize method is a great way to centralize the location where these are set.
var url = 'api.mailgun.net/v2'; var domain = ''; var key = ''; module.exports = { initialize: function(domainName, apiKey) { domain = domainName; key = apiKey; return this; }, ... }
The module starts by declaring three private properties. When the
initialize method is called, the credentials are stored in the private variables. Along with the credentials, we've also stored the api's url in a private property. When the Mailgun API is updated, we will only need to change the url here instead of everywhere in the module.
It would be possible to pass the credentials with each function that uses the Mailgun API. But, by using an
initialize method, the users of the module only need to set their credentials once like this:
// cloud.js // Initialize Your Module var client = require('cloud/myMailModule-1.0.0.js'); client.initialize('myDomainName', 'myAPIKey'); // All my Cloud Code functions can use the Mailgun module Parse.Cloud.beforeSave... Parse.Cloud.define... ...
The main use of our module is to send emails. The function used to do this is remarkably simple, but requires some understanding of the Mailgun API, Parse HTTP requests and general HTTP networking concepts. Let's start by looking at the code.
module.exports = { ... sendEmail: function(params, options) { return Parse.Cloud.httpRequest({ method: "POST", url: "https://api:" + key + "@" + url + "/" + domain + "/messages", body: params, }).then(function(httpResponse) { if (options && options.success) { options.success(httpResponse); } }, function(httpResponse) { if (options && options.error) { options.error(httpResponse); } }); } }
This function simply calls
Parse.Cloud.httpRequest with the appropriate parameters. As discussed in the Cloud Code docs, the
httpRequest function allows you to send a request to an external web server. This is the key to integrating with third-party services as it allows us to communicate with other APIs.
To determine the values for the
url and
body parameters, we need to take a look at Mailgun's API reference documentation. From this page we can find out that sending an email requires doing a POST request to the URL
https://api.mailgun.net/v2/{DomainName}/messages. But how do we provide our Mailgun credential? Well, the majority of web APIs support basic HTTP authentication. This means we can add the credentials to the URL in the following format.
In the case of Mailgun, if we combine the URL and the credential we get:
So the value of
method needs to be
POST and the value of
url should be the address shown above. As you can see from the function's code (repeated below for convenience), the value of
body is simply set to the
params variable which is supplied to the
sendEmail function.
module.exports = { ... sendEmail: function(params, options) { return Parse.Cloud.httpRequest({ method: "POST", url: "https://api:" + key + "@" + url + "/" + domain + "/messages", body: params, }).then(function(httpResponse) { if (options && options.success) { options.success(httpResponse); } }, function(httpResponse) { if (options && options.error) { options.error(httpResponse); } }); } }
There are a variety of parameters that third party services will accept in the body of their requests, and these are subject to change at any time. Instead of hard coding a list of accepted parameters, our module lets the user provide a list of them and then relays them to Mailgun. This makes the module easier to update in the future and allows the module's API to be much more flexible. In the case of sending an email with Mailgun, the list of accepted body parameters can be found in their API reference documentation.
success and
error parameters are two callback functions that are provided to the
sendEmail function through the
options parameters. The
httpRequest method returns a Promise. The promise's
then method invokes the appropriate success or error callback based on whether the promise is resolved or rejected.
Let's see what a call to the
sendEmail method looks like.
// First we initialize our module var client = require('cloud/myMailModule-1.0.0.js'); client.initialize('myDomainName', 'myAPIKey'); // Then we create a cloud function Parse.Cloud.define("sendEmailToUser", function(request, response) { client.sendEmail({ to: "email@example.com", from: "email@example.com", subject: "Hello from Parse!", text: "Using Parse and My Mail Module is great!" }).then(function(httpResponse) { response.success("Email sent!"); }, function(httpResponse) { console.error(httpResponse); response.error("Uh oh, something went wrong"); }); });
In the example above, a Cloud Function named
sendEmailToUser is defined that calls the
sendEmail module method, passing in the parameters needed to send out an email. The success and error cases are echoed back to the user in the response.
Versioning the module helps developers know which version they're currently running. While this is not a requirement, it's a good practice. We've named our module file
myMailModule-1.0.0.js to indicate that this is version 1.0.0. Additionally, let's add a property to our module that provides versioning information.
module.exports = { ... version: '1.0.0', ...
This makes the version information accessible via code. The example below shows a modified
sendEmailToUser Cloud Function that includes the version in the text of the email sent out.
// Modify the message sent to include the version Parse.Cloud.define("sendEmailToUser", function(request, response) { client.sendEmail({ to: "firstname.lastname@example.com", from: "firstname.lastname@example.com", subject: "Hello from Parse!", text: "Using Parse and My Mail Module version " + client.version + " is great!" }).then(function(httpResponse) { response.success("Email sent!"); }, function(httpResponse) { console.error(httpResponse); response.error("Uh oh, something went wrong"); }); });
And that's all there is to know about creating modules for Cloud Code! Make sure to take a look at the
If you have any questions or comments, visit our Help Center.


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The full trailer for Marvel's 'Captain America: the Winter Solider' has finally been revealed letting us in to more than a few of the major plot points for the upcoming movie. The trailer shows Chris Evans back in his role as Steve Rogers who is now time teaming up with Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow. We also get a look at Samuel L Jackson reprising his role as Nick Fury, Robert Redford appearing as a a senior SHIELD official and Anthony Mackie as a new superhero called the Falcon who has the ability to fly. With the release of 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' just over two months away, it may be worth using this time time to brush up on your Captain America knowledge before enjoying this installment.
Chris Evans returns as Captain Amercia
Who is Captain America?
Ok you really should know this one, but just incase: Captain America aka Steve Rogers is a solider who is enhanced by the US government and turned into a 'super solider'. After crashing his plane in the Arctic, he wakes up in a fake 1940s hospital and after running out into Times Square he realises he's awoken some 70 years later.
When does Captain America: the Winter Solider take place?
It takes place two years after the events of the 'Avengers' movie in which we saw Captain America recruited to SHIELD and fighting alongside other Avengers. We are told Steve Rogers is now "living quietly in Washington, DC and trying to adjust to the modern world. "
Who is the Winter Solider?
This was the big question. In the trailer we hear that "most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists, those who do call him the winter solider." The trailer does not answer the question or give us a clean, full shot of his face. However you might want to take another look at some of the other characters in the first Captain America, the Winter Soldier might be someone Rogers has encountered before.
Scarlett Johansson repreises her role as the Black Widow
What's next in the Marvel timeline? Next for Marvel will be 'Antman' to be released later this year 'Guardians of the Galaxy' which is scheduled for August. Meanwhile its been reported that Captain America 3 is already being planned with Anthony and Joe Russo being asked to direct again.
Watch the trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier here:

subset: commoncrawl


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On December 10th, 2012, after several weeks of searching for an apartment to rent in Paris next spring, I found exactly what I was looking for on the AIRBNB website. It was a 2 bedroom, 2 baths beautifully decorated grand apartment in a quiet street in the trendy Le Marais neighborhood (AIRBNB listing No. 532723 though I suspect that has been changed). I used the "contact the owner" button on the AIRBNB page for the apartment and within minutes I received an email from the owner with a quote for the rental period. The rate was reasonable and it included transportation to and from the airport and offered a 20% discount for paying in full within a week. The email included information about the "owner" of the apartment and contact phone numbers and addresses. It all looked normal enough. They forwarded a contract and a bank account and we wire-transferred the money. That was the last time we heard from them.
First the mea-culpa. There were plenty of red flags we ignored in this transaction. The deal was too good to be true, the money transfer offered no security, the hurry up and pay was suspicious. All should have given me plenty of pause, but we forged ahead mostly because I trusted someone I had contacted through a reputable website.
After realizing our mistake I contacted AIRBNB directly. Their response only added insult to injury. I never expected AIRBNB to reimburse the money lost. But when I explained to them how I made the initial contact with the scammers, I expected some kind of "we'll try to investigate how this happened so it won't happen again" response. Instead AIRBNB denied they had any record of the initial contact and all but accused me of inventing the whole thing even though I had forwarded them all emails exchanged, the contract we received from the scammer and the official receipt from our bank transfer. They sent me a pre-written statement that warned against going outside their website to close a transaction and pretty much washed their hands off.
By blaming me and ignoring the deeper problem of how this fraud was committed, AIRBNB is shooting themselves on the foot. Yes, I am out of a substantial amount which I had no expectations of recovering once I realized our mistake, but they have a bigger problem than I do because the only way I could have been contacted by these people is if they hacked into the AIRBNB site or into the real owner's email. As I explained to them, I made first contact through their website and sent no personal information about myself other than an interest in the apartment on that initial contact. Either way, I am absolutely sure I won't be the first or last customer scammed this way. So beware, thread very carefully with these kind of online transactions and be warned that if anything goes wrong, at least when dealing with AIRBNB, most likely you'll be on your own.
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Airbnb scam
On December 10th, 2012, after several weeks of searching for an apartment to rent in Paris next spring, I found exactly what I was looking for on the AIRBNB website. It was a 2 bedroom, 2 baths beautifully decorated grand apartment in a quiet street in the trendy Le Marais neighborhood (AIRBNB listing No. 532723 though I suspect that has been changed). I used the "contact the owner" button on the AIRBNB page for the apartment and within minutes I received an email from the owner with a quote for the rental period. The rate was reasonable and it included transportation to and from the airport and offered a 20% discount for paying in full within a week. The email included information about the "owner" of the apartment and contact phone numbers and addresses. It all looked normal enough. They forwarded a contract and a bank account and we wire-transferred the money. That was the last time we heard from them.
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Well, something certainly seems amiss here, because the way Airbnb is supposed to work is that you contact the owner (through Airbnb), but you PAY Airbnb, which in fact doesn't turn the money over to the owner until 24 hours after you've showed up and Airbnb has confirmed that with the owner, which is a safeguard for the renter.
I don't understand how, if you contacted the owner through the Airbnb site, there could not have been a record of that.
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I am not a fan of AirB&B -as any of my posts will tell you.
But - you didn;t do this through their system - so I don't see how you can expect them to take any action. In fact, you don;t really know who you were dealing with - so how could they?
This is like the fake listings on Craig's list. The just publish the info - and don;t make and claims that it is legitimate.
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Sorry - this is a scam by whoever you sent the money to. Not Air B&B.
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We are Airbnb hosts for our guest room in the States, and what you describe simply could not have happened! When a potential guest contacts us through Airbnb, I must reply back back to the person through Airbnb. If I would attempt to put a telephone number or email address in my response, the software on the Airbnb automatically blocks it out. I can supply my contact information, and the guest can respond directly, only after the booking is accepted by me, and the money paid to Airbnb.
Something is really fishy here!
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I agree with AirB&B, if you were going to use the website, you should have read all their terms. YOu then chose to ignore them and pay and make personal contact outside of AirB&B. Why would you even do such a thing, their website clearly indicates you pay through them and book through them.
Maybe they don't have any record of your contact with them, sometimes those things do get lost, you never know. It isn't even clear that you did use their website, I think I've heard of someone else who used some false website or something outside AirBnB (or VRBO, forget which).
Your post doesn't even explain what the scam supposedly was. YOu say you are out the money, but you never explained why you immediately assumed you were scammed or what happened for you to immediately conclude you had no rental.
Yes, I would think anyone should pretty much assume on that webstie or VRBO that you're on your own to begin with. .
I'm sorry you lost money, if you did, but I don't think you should complain about AirBnB when you chose to ignore their website's FAQs, terms, and methods of usage. You clearly are familiar with them, so must know how they work, or you wouldn't have used them in the first place nor refer to them as a reputable website if you knew nothing about them. You also know when you use websites like that which are just private individuals, not agencies, there is always a possibility of fraud.
I know you want sympathy, and I would be sympathetic if you just posted this as a warning not to do the things you did, and say you learned your lesson, rather than just trying to complain about AirBnB.
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This appears not to have been an Airbnb scam at all, but rather a "scam" by a criminal who hacked into their website and stole information. I doubt it's possible to completely protect against this sort of thing happening, since computer criminals are very resourceful.
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I think she made it very clear that she did NOT contact them outside Airbnb, that she contacted them THROUGH Airbnb, which is the only way you CAN contact them.
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Seems like the OP did the actual booking directly with the owner, instead of through Airbnb. There are instructions on the Airbnb site about how to book a rental. Following the Airbnb procedure is what protects from being scammed.
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That listing is still on AirBnB. It is $533 a night - is that what you saw and felt was reasonable??
I have booked 2 different places using AirBnB and could not have direct contact with owner until they accepted my offer and paid.
How did you find the listing. - did you go to AirBnB.com and do a search or did you find it another way?
Something doesn't add up here.....
(First post, scammed = troll?)
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"StCirq on Jan 27, 13 at 1:31pm
Well, something certainly seems amiss here, because the way Airbnb is supposed to work is that you contact the owner (through Airbnb), but you PAY Airbnb, which in fact doesn't turn the money over to the owner until 24 hours after you've showed up and Airbnb has confirmed that with the owner, which is a safeguard for the renter.
I don't understand how, if you contacted the owner through the Airbnb site, there could not have been a record of that"
Exactly. I just finished dealing with Airbnb. I'm supposed to now be in one of two Thai apartments that I had rented, but had to cancel my trip due to a family emergency. After doing my cancelation online with Airbnb, I was e-mailed, within 30 minutes, that my refund had been issued to my credit card. The total refund, minus the booking fee, posted to my credit card within 2 days. And that was for 2 apartments, but 3 bookings.
From the start, I went online and chatted with the owners and asked various questions. Then when I had made my decision I paid online to the Airbnb site as that's the system. Then I waited until the apartment owners sent their approval. I then was sent the e-mail address of the owners and the address of the apartment. I googled the owners' names and did some research. Both seemed fine. They were also very understanding when I had to cancel. I was just on e-mail with one of them last night as he and his wife and I plan to keep in touch. I even recommended to him the apartment that I rent in Paris as he and his wife might go there in the future.
Happy Travels!
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"cynthia_booker on Jan 27, 13 at 9:06pm
Seems like the OP did the actual booking directly with the owner, instead of through Airbnb. There are instructions on the Airbnb site about how to book a rental. Following the Airbnb procedure is what protects from being scammed"
Exactly. And there's nowhere in all of the Airbnb info that says that a potential renter is to send money directly to the apartment owner. And how would one get that info anyway as Airbnb would block it? One doesn't even get the owner's e-mail address, telephone number, or apartment address of the rental until after one has paid on the Airbnb website.
Happy Travels!
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As others have said, when you rent a listing on AirBnB you get no direct contact information until payment has been made by credit card only through the site. It could not have happened as described.
Someone is very confused or worse and AirBnB does not deserve to be libelled in this way.
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( you can and SHOULD converse with the owner via AirBnB internal communication system - ask questions and even get exact address if the owner wants to give that out - before you pay. I even had someone local check out the 2 places we rented before we sent the payment. Both owners were very agreeable to that; we were lucky to have contacts in San Francisco and Hilo who did that for us. I tried to include my email address and phone # and both were blocked out, until I paid.)
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In defense of the OP because I have to take the posting on face value until proven wrong. I have never used airbnb and just tried to see what I would find in Paris. When opening the web site, there are no statements as to the rules of engagement. I chose one apartment, and I get a sidebar inviting me to contact the owner. If I get a reply from the owner asking for direct payment, I have no way of knowing that this is not the normal operating procedure, although there is a box to click on that presumably explains how airbnb protects the potential client.
The OP has suggested that airbnb might have been hacked, but clearly there was no interest in that information.
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There is no way for the owner to give you a way to pay directly. They would have to provide you with some means to do so, which would in all likelihood involve including an email address which AirBnB software blocks. I am guessing that if the owner gave a website to go to for direct contact, it would be blocked as well. The first time I dealt with a listing, I didn't realize that you couldn't give an email address or phone number, so I included it in my message. Blocked. AirBnB makes money from the booking (from the renter) so they are going to have pretty decent procedures to block people from contacting directly and thereby cutting AirBnB out of money.
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There is no way for the owner to give you a way to pay directly
Is this to suggest that the OP is lying? The posting was not a rant in the sense that the OP gives an outline of the steps taken subsequently and states that s/he has the e-mails to prove the point. Again, is it possible that airbnb was hacked, thereby by-passing the security measures that are in place?
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Hacked? Of course anything is possible. But it seems to me a long shot, not that much money involved and what would be the point otherwise. Political? Again, not likely. I wonder, giving the OP the benefit of the doubt, were they confused about which site they actually used for the booking. I'm not sure there's another explanation.
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There have been no other reports of similar hackings, if that is indeed what transpired. The OP hasn't even bothered to return to the thread . You do the math.
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Actually, there is a similar report about Airbnb over on TA that appeared to end up involving the police and a fraud investigation.
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I would not return to the thread when everyone says "impossible."
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Michael, what's "impossible?"
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Ok, I just went to the AirBnB listing. I tried to put a link to this thread in a message to the owner, thinking he might want to respond. When I tried to submit it, I got a pop up block that said, " it appears as though you entered a website, phone number, or email address. This information cannot be exchanged until the booking is complete for your protection. Scams can only occur if you exchange money outside of the system. Please edit your message and try again."
There was the same post on tripadvisor.uk which was deleted by TA.
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what's "impossible?"
Meaning "it can't be", which is the gist of all the replies. DebitNM's last post would have been most appropriate to begin a discussion with the OP, asking if he did not get the warning.
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I just had the same thing happen to me today with the same apartment. I must have gone on airbnb's website a week or so ago. Today I received an email thanking me for my request. I didn't remember the request, but I have been looking at so many apartments and websites I can't keep track. The apartment looked beautiful, but I was already in negotiations for another apartment. "Pascal Mike" said make me an offer. I didn't realize Airbnb is only supposed to be negotiated on their website because I really didn't remember their website. Anyway, I made an offer and "Mike" accepted. He then asked for my address so he could send me a contract. Well, he sent me the contract and something didn't look right to me. The address was different then on the website. When I hit map on his website 137 Rue du Temple appeared, but his contract said Rue du Temple #37. I emailed this scam artist and said is the contract for #37, which if you google looks shady and a totally different outside appearance than 137, and he said yes, but don't worry. Well, I worried and emailed him that the outside looked totally different from his website. His website shows a beautiful living room with 3 enormous windows overlooking an intersection. 37 Rue du Temple has 2 windows and no intersection. I then looked up a customer service phone number for Airbnb, which was not easy to locate, but I eventually found. I called them and told them what happened. They were happy I did not make a bank transfer and opened a scam report. I forwarded all of my emails, regarding this scam artist, to them. I am happy that I caught this scam, but realize that many people will not. That is why I am posting this with any catch phrases that will help prevent future theft. Here is the original email from "Pascal Mike":
Thank you very much for your booking request.
> We have, however, a lot of requests that come in daily for the apartment
> and would request, if possible, a speedy reply.
> Deluxe Home In The Heart Of Paris ! (Web address:
> https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/532723 ) is currently available for your dates
> Mar 25, 2013 - Mar 29, 2013 (4 nights).
> We have a special offer. The breakdown would be as follows:
> $ 1,600.00
> $ 0.00 (Departure Cleaning Fee)
> ------------
> $ 1,600.00 +
> - 30% (Discount for special offer only)
> ------------
> $ 1,120.00 (TOTAL/Tax included)
> Cancellation 100% refundable 15 Days prior to arrival.
> Rate is inclusive of:
> Airport transfers, round trip.
> Daily housekeeping.
> Wireless internet access.
> Free Laundry service.
> For this special offer payment of $ 1,120.00 must be completed within 7
> days (to secure this booking).
> If you would like to proceed I will just need your home address for the
> contract and I will forward as e-mail attachment.
> Airport Transfers:
> Through popular demand we are offering Round trip airport transfers by our
> private driver to pick-you up at the airport upon your arrival.
> Check in & check out:
> Check in time is 1 pm and check out 11 am (there is a flexibility in case
> your plane leaves or arrives at different times) to give the cleaning
> person a chance to properly prepare the apartment for my next guest.
> Please let me know if you have any questions and how I can further assist
> you.
> We look forward to being of service to you.
> Kind regards,
> Pascal Mike
I hope this is helpful, plus here is the bank transfer information:
Total Booking Charges: Euro 800
Receiver address:
Fast RNT Services
3, Carew Rd, London , N17 8DL, United Kingdom
Sort Code: 30 84 76
Account #: 52 14 40 68
Bank Name: LLOYDS TSB
Bank Address: 105-109 Station Road, Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 7JL, United Kingdom
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I do not see how you could have contacted this chap, or he you, through the Airbnb website. It simply does not work that way. Their software automatically blocks email addresses, telephone numbers, home addresses, etc., until the booking is made, and the money is paid to Airbnb, not the owner.
Something funny here.
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A first time poster, with the same issue. For an apartment that is showing $531 a NIGHT fee, offering it for half? And as nukesafe says, you cannot get email info via AirBnB until you've paid. Odd...
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Why don't you email this person and see what happens:
Rental House <email@example.com>? he goes by the name of Pascal Mike and he is offering a beautiful 2 bdrm apt in Le Marais.
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When you go to the website listed in filippone's posting, note the web address: it is NOT airbnb.com, it is airbnb.ca NOT the legitimate site.
Otherwise, it looks like the real website; I always double check the url's.
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I'm guessing the person's email account was hacked by someone looking for travel inquiries.
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The AirBnB website in the UK is airbnb.co.uk so I'm guessing the url with ca is Canada.
It would be gracious of AirBnB to get on here and explain to us how this was possible as I'm sure they know. Probably not though, "ongoing investigation".
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I just done a quick check on the airbnb.ca website.
This is the who is details: http://whois.domaintools.com/airbnb.ca
This is the airbnb.com who is: http://whois.domaintools.com/airbnb.com
As one can see two very different registrars.
If you change the language in .com then it becomes something like this:
https://pl.airbnb.com/ This is Polish.
https://fr.airbnb.com/ This is French.
When changing languages there are tow letters in front of website name...well I found that Spanish language website is https://www.airbnb.es/
So it is all very strange.
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I'm posting this, as I was looking to see if a rental I was pursuing was a scam. I was going through the flipkey website when I got an email from a Kevin Smith (generic enough?) with an email address of @rntlaha.com. Same free airport transportation and 20% discount. Requested a wire transfer to a bank in the UK (I am in the US).
Similar to filippone, I received the email without being aware of making the request. My email was very similar and the account information is the same:
Total Booking Charges: $ 720.00
Receiver: BTQ Services STI
Receiver address: 88 Church Road, Seaforth, Liverpool, Merseyside, L21 4LW, UK
Sort Code: 30 84 76
Account #: 52 14 47 60
Bank Name: LLOYDS TSB
Bank Address: 105-109 Station Road, Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 7JL, United Kingdom
Although he reported that this information was outdated and to forward it to a different account:
Total Booking Charges: $ 720.00
Receiver: BTQ Services STI
Receiver address: 88 Church Road, Seaforth, Liverpool, Merseyside, L21 4LW, UK
Sort Code: 30 84 76
Account #: 52 14 40 68
Bank Name: LLOYDS TSB
Bank Address: 105-109 Station Road, Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 7JL, United Kingdom
Thank y'all so much for posting, as you spared me from losing a good deal of money.
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I was just checking to see if there was any response to my post. I am happy that I was able to forewarn someone because that was my purpose when initially posting. It's funny that skknowles says they received a proposal from flipkey because I do remember being on that website earlier yesterday prior to the scam event. Anyway, Airbnb contacted me today and alerted me on how to use Airbnb and never receive a proposal offsite. I replied by stating that I already contacted www.actionfraud.police.uk, since the bank receiving funds is located in the UK, and that actionfraud.police.uk may be contacting Airbnb. I gave the police all the information plus the Airbnb "scam ticket #" that they provided me. I also mentioned to Airbnb that they might want to contact the host of the propoerty advertised and see if his computer has been hacked. It seems odd that so many people are receiving proposals for properties they never requested.
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I just got scammed on an apt in Chamonix---I found it on the Airbnb site, I was a newbie, the apt had no reviews and was "new" All the month was green and available. I emailed the owner/scammer re details and I am pretty certain that when I hit the Book Now I got a very official looking confirmation from Airbnphoney) confirming that I am booked and a page was attached giving instruction where to send the Euros to the account of "airbnb" in London Barclays with SWIFT cdes Routing etc. I am sure the scammer hacked the Airbnb site to be able to do what they did. I also had red flags though--no bookings on the calendar, little too anxious as to when funds were being sent,could not find the owner when Googled not even a linkdin or facebook entry. The apt was perfect, maybe too much so. The cost was maybe 10 or 20% less than similar ones but I figured they were new on the site and getting it going.I also got a polite form like email from Airbnb that since I dealt with the owner directly(not really true) its sad but too bad. I am like the one who started this blog--I dont really expect the $ back as I should have been more careful but they really need to get on it or their reputation will be ruined. If uo are happy you tell no one if you are unhappy you tell everyone.
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It's a scam when they won't refund all of your money when you make a cancellation 20-days in advance as I did. Lost over $145.00 (half as due to me in their fine print cancellation clause). From this experience, nothing beats booking a hotel room even if it is way more expensive.
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Sorry for your loss, Gumsandals but, as in all things, do your homework. I don't see how you can call it a scam, though.
The description of each property on Airbnb quite clearly states the cancellation policy. That policy level is one chosen by the owner, not Airbnb. There are several levels, i.e., Flexible, in which you can cancel with one day's notice and get a full refund, Moderate, where you can get a full refund with five days notice, and Strict, where you get 50% refund if you give a one week notice, and Super Strict (which your rental must have had)in which you get 50% back with 30 days notice. Those are pretty rare; by invitation only, and it costs the host an extra 5% fee. You still have to pay Airbnb their fees for all levels, though.
Look at it from the Hosts' viewpoint. If a renter cancels, you have very little hope of filling that rental period with another guest. It is not like you are a big hotel with lots of rooms, and many people trying to book.
You also have the option of contacting the owner and asking if they might be more lenient, if they buy your extenuating circumstances. We have been doing this for our private guest room for about three years, now, and have only had one party cancel on us. They were nice folks, with a good reason, and we gave them back their money.
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Unfortunately, this is old news. This scammer has been hitting people who use Homeaway/VRBO for years. Same person, out of London. The marks of the scam are the same. There is a facebook group of victims. Those who hire private counsel get some kind of settlement fro Homeaway/VRBO. You may be able to get the same from Airbnb.
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I would not use AirBNB at all.
I absolutely agree and had a sismilar story, but I got official AirBNB letters that everything is fine and paid the "AirBNB" bank account.
As you mantioned AirBNB got rid of the traces immidiately, the correspondance and played a neutral role when turning to them. Seem like they think that staying neutral accelerates their business.
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After all this I would just avoid AirBNB. One exception - Nukesafe's place.
I'm in the process of looking for apartments in Spain right now. Thanks to the OP - one has to be thick skinned to post warnings on this site.
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"but I got official AirBNB letters that everything is fine and paid the "AirBNB" bank account. "
Please explain. How, exactly, did you pay the "AirBNB bank account"? Didn't you use a credit card, and if not, why not? And since payments aren't released by AirBNB until 24 hours after you arrive at the rental, what exactly went wrong?
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"After all this I would just avoid AirBNB."
If I wanted to buy a book on what I thought was the Amazon website and was told by them to wire money to their bank account would it not seems unusual? Would I do it without investigating further? Is not the usual method of paying for things on an American website by credit card? Yes, one can avoid AirBnB without depriving oneself much but I'd think it a better course of action to begin to think more and use a little common sense.
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That would be true if it were the first AirBNB concern. There are many other reliable apartment websites and of course I would be diligent but this one just has too many incidences and I just don't want to deal with it. If someone like DebitNM recommends an apartment I would look into it but otherwise I'm just not going on that site.
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"...I'm just not going on that site."
Much easier than widening one's horizons, to be sure. Play it safe, an additional decision-making tool. One cannot argue with that approach.
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I guess you're avoiding VRBO, then. It has had a lot more of these incidents than AirBNB has. In any case, so far I haven't seen one of these scams that doesn't involve WIRING money, in direct violation of at least AirBNB's regulations.
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Thank you for the "exception" Micheline. If you ever plan to be in Anacortes, WA ----- Our place usually is at the top of the list when you search.
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Well, my only foray into the world of AirBNB was very successful, and I have stayed at the house twice now, and am in regular email contact with the owner.
Fellow Fodorite RM67 recently used AirBNB in Barcelona and was very happy with her apartment. My daughter has used AirBNB in Paris for two different apartments and been happy enough with them, and also in Riga and Hamburg with no problems.
If you have been scammed then that is very bad luck, and you are unfortunate. But there are many success stories out there, and your situation shouldn't necessarily deter people from at least looking at what is available on AirBNB.
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July 2013: This place here has a difficult-to-detect scam:
I found a listing on AirBNB and contacted the host through AirBNB. In their reply, they somehow got their website to show in the correspondence window (but I knew from experience that AirBNB does not allow email and websites to show within correspondence on AirBNB.)
So, interesting observation number 1: their website successfully showed up in their reply inside the AirBNB correspondence area. They asked me to reach them at their website instead.
I went to http://www.helena-agency.biz/, which is a very lovely website. Look at it. It looks so legitimate! They have two physical offices. I googled their business name and could not find anything. That was interesting observation number 2. Not a peep about them on the web outside of their own website. The google maps street view for their office in France shows a truck parked in front of where the business is supposed to be, so no reassurance via google street view.
Suspcious, but not completely turned off, I contact them through their website and they write back the next day to say the place is available. They will send me the link to the invoice by email at my request, which will take me back to their website for payment options. Interesting observation number 3: this great apartment was available at somewhat short notice.
The correspondence is never pushy, they don't send me things, they ask me if I want them to send it, etc. Very smooth and business-like.
Payment options include PayPal and credit card. Before I pay, I decide that since I can't find a peep about them online (not a thing!) I will go to www.whois.com to see who owns the domain. BINGO! The domain was registered seven days ago. How can a seemingly established business have a website created only seven days ago?
I wrote them back to ask them to suggest how I could become confident that they are legitimate. I have not heard back, of course.
Be wary my friends. Stay within airbnb.
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As long as you do everything through the Airbnb portal, you should be ok. This is because the agency holds your funds in escrow and the renter of the property does not get their hands on them until you have been in situ for 24hrs.
I specifically picked this company when going to Barcelona because I had read of scams with other agencies where upon arrival people are told their accommodation is unavailable and they are offered inferior accommodation.
I found the choice of properties excellent, the detailed candid reviews from other customers very helpful, and the Airbnb staff really good on the occasions I contacted them with queries.
To reiterate, book through the official portal only, and make sure you have confirmation of this. The system is set up to link all your emails regarding a specific property and you get a detailed itinerary and breakdown of costs if it has all gone through correctly.
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Btw, for what it's worth Paypal are very good at refunding when you have problems as a customer - probably quicker and easier than going through Visa or your bank, so though you obviously should not go outside the Airbnb portal, had you erroneously done so, you very likely would have recovered your funds without a great deal of effort.
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You were a victim of international wire fraud. Please email the FBI where you'll fill out a form with your contact information and an explanation of what happened. It all helps them catch the bad guys. Good luck.
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I was the object of a fraud using AIRBNB in July 30th....of course it was my own fault, didn't read well the instructions, first time user...but a couple of comments
1- I received instructions, apparently from AIRBNB to wire to AIRBNB to Barclays UK....I thought I was wiring to AIRBNB, but was not the case! The "host" somehow faked an e-mail with all the look of AIRBNB...
It seems someone else opened an account under the AIRBNB namet, I am not sure how they can do that, but it stated AIRBNB as the account beneficiary. I would have never sent to the host directly. The Fraud department at Barclays UK is analyzing the situation at this time
2- The "host" sent a his/her mail to contact directly, but it included errors in the spelling (y a h 0 0. c 0 m), used zeros and spaces, that is how AIRBNB software didn't catch it.
Be aware! Never wire money to an account of "AIRBNB"!, it can still be a scam. Only use the platform and credit cards or paypal ....and Never contact the host directly!
I believe AIRBNB offers a great product (I rented an apartment AFTER the scam and went great) but customer service was poor, plenty of automated responses and never a real answer.
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I was the object of the same kind of fraud you are describing now in december 2013. I am very surprised that airbnb are not doing anything to prevent this from happening. They need better customer support and they need to secure this trap by not making newbies communicate to the scammers directly. By doing that they prevent scammers using the site. I heard from them yesterday and was told that the person that took my money, did that to many others and her account has been closed. Now I dont even see our communications on airbnb anymore. She hacked the site even and I have screenshot and mails of everything. BE AWARE!!!!!
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At every possible opportunity Airbnb warns users to not communicate or do business off-site. In my experience their customer service could not be better. Crooks are adept at circumventing controls so if you send money directly to the scammers rather than paying through the site as instructed I'm not sure what they can do beyond putting out the fires as they break out. If it's your money that started the fire it's a shame but it was preventable.
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I'm not buying any Airbnb scam talk without proof and solid verification. I have friends who have been using it for years with great success. I recently joined and couldn't believe the amount of how-to reading I had to absorb. Airbnb has several layers of user verification. If someone did join with intention to scam, their profile would stand out like a sore thumb with all kinds of red flags.
I don't see how it is possible to communicate with a member before you pay AirBnB. Their software deletes all URLs and email addresses. It's very strict. Even if you spell out dot com, their software sounds the alarm.
Members pay Airbnb directly via credit card. There's no such thing as a wire transfer to a property owner or to Airbnb. As others have said, Airbnb keeps the full payment until 24 hrs after check-in, to insure customer satisfaction. IMO, it's a genius way of doing business and making money.
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Airbnb keeps the full payment until 24 hrs after check-in, to insure customer satisfaction
How does that ensure customer satisfaction? Why is it the only listing website that does that. All the others like Booking, Expedia, Ownersdirect and the 100s of other similar websites all work very very differently.
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"How does that ensure customer satisfaction?"
If the customer isn't satisfied, the owner doesn't get paid.
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Exactly what Wesleymarsh said! We have been Airbnb hosts for the past four years, and while people have tried to game the system with us by trying to get around the need to go through Airbnb to talk to us directly before they book, none have been successful.
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"How does that ensure customer satisfaction?"
If a customer shows up to find the property is not as advertised, filthy, flooded, or in disrepair, etc., the customer can contact customer service and submit a claim. Airbnb says they will assist in finding an immediate replacement property, and the original landlord will not get paid. Your in-advance payment will go to the replacement property owner, even if the second property costs more.
I don't know anyone personally who has encountered a problem. I've read that a situation like this is very rare. But there is evidence of this happening to one or two members, and they claim they were happy with Abnb customer service and the resolution.
I saw the owners of Airbnb on Charlie Rose. Very interesting interview. They have a mission to form a very strong community around the world. They presented the most impressive concept of travel housing I've ever seen. If it truly takes off, as it seems to be doing, I think places like VRBO will be history, and Airbnb will rule the field.
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I think sometimes people may try to go around the website so they do not have to pay the Airbnb booking fee.
I was amazed at the sign-up info required by Airbnb. All instructions clearly state that when you join, you agree to make all contacts through Airbnb and to make all payments to Airbnb.
The 24 hrs after check-in payment is to insure that if you do not like a property when you arrive, and you notify Airbnb immediately, the owner will not receive payment. This is great protection for the renter. Of course, you can not stay in the apartment, then refuse to pay.
I used Airbnb a few weeks ago for two different apartments in Provence and was extremely pleased with the outcome. They are now my go-to source for apartments. Of course, I check and double check as much as possible that the apartment will be to my liking. I also have several conversations with the owners prior to booking and after booking so I feel comfortable.
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skKnowles, You said you used flipkey. Did you think that was related to Airbnb?
Want to add that I had to cancel a trip and forgot to cancel a reservation for an apartment until after I was supposed to have checked in. The owner had already been paid. She offered to refund the money or give me credit for a stay at another time. She did not have to do either. I took the credit. That was one of the apartments I stayed at in Provence. Wonderful experience. One apartment, I booked the day before arrival, then had several phone conversations with the owner to be sure it would be a good situation. It was better than good, a whole little house in a great area.
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"She hacked the site"
I'm not buying any hacking accusations, either. If you have the talent to hack Airbnb, and figure out a way to divert money from their multi-layered deposit/payment system, why bother with such chump change? If I was a criminal with that level of hacking talent, I'd be looking at much bigger fish.
"people have tried to game the system with us by trying to get around the need to go through Airbnb to talk to us directly before they book"
Airbnb members know there is no need for private conversation away from the site. It's the people who are unfamiliar with Airbnb, the newbies, who don't realize the property prices aren't set in stone. Every property owner has the ability to change the nightly price within Airbnb's system. If you want to negotiate the price with any owner, Airbnb allows you to have that conversation but they want to keep those conversations within the system. I think that's genius, too.
To permit most aspects of communication between landlord and customer is why Airbnb has garnered such rapid success. This in-house communication encourages safety, prevents fraud, and helps to build the community. Think about it, if there is no need to negotiate a price outside the system, why risk making a deal with someone outside the system?
I guess there are customers who don't want to pay the Airbnb fee. Then I have to ask, is saving the $100 (or less) fee worth the risk of dealing with a criminal?
From my perspective, it seems Airbnb enthusiasts support each other and protect each other. It really is becoming a true community with a collective ethos and mission. Once you join, and see how their system is set up, it's very difficult to resist. I resisted for several years until a co-worker told me about his success. Then I saw the Charlie Rose interview and I became a convert. I wish I had a home to rent.
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I have used Airbnb with great success but almost was scammed this week!
It was an apartment in Naples, a legitimate listing. I had been going back and forth with the owner through the Airbnb messaging (portal) about the cost, since it wasn't clear to me (it was posted in dollars on the American site, but evidently she thought it was in Euros). Anyway we were working this out when I suddenly got a message through the portal that the amount I suggested would be the amount she would rent if for, a good deal for me.
The catch was that I was to send my full name and address to an email address, but I didn't only because I wanted to wait a day or too to confirm my dates. I should have realized the email was a scam because I saw similar scams when I was selling an item on Craig's list. For some reason they don't type an "@" in the email address, but a "()".
Anyway, the owner messaged me the next day in a panic, not to respond to that message that she didn't write it. She could only get onto the site by her phone, not through her computer because they had evidently gotten into the BnB site and changed her email address.
I was relieved and chagrined that I would have ignored the warning posted automatically under every message warning me not to answer any email outside the site. I think my excitement about a bargain blinded me.
She finally got back to me and offered me a reduction, a nice one, I think because of what had happened, but I eventually decided to pick another apartment.
I will continue to use AirBnb with confidence - if you stick with the guidelines it's very safe. I even had a hard time joining, I had to call them to become a member.
I feel bad for those who were taken advantage of - I had a close call.
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"if you stick with the guidelines it's very safe"
Bazonia, your post only encourages more questions and I don't have time to ask them. I'm glad to hear you didn't bite.
It's been my experience that any typing that even remotely looks like an email address will be rejected by the Airbnb software. It almost sounds to me like the computer on the Naples end may have been compromised, which often gets lumped into the hacking category.
In the FAQs, members are informed that contact information for both parties will not be revealed until after the payment is made to Airbnb. So members know that any attempt to acquire this information ahead of time should be viewed as a serious red flag.
Anyone can test this out. Become a member and try to send an email address to another member, using every style of address you can create. You'll quickly see what happens.
Once more and more users figure out how Airbnb works, they'll know what red flags to look out for.
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This is a real scan as it has just happened to my friend 2200 euro gone.
There is no point of all you smart people saying oh Airbnb works like this blah blah blah and you would of been smarter not to send money anywhere.
The point is this , the scammers have somehow hacked the contact owner button on the real airbnb site or hacked the search function, either way they have found a way to redirect traffic to them. There must be hosting somewhere so that could be a way of tracking them.
If you are a new user you follow the instructions and when you are told to wire money for payment it is natural to assume its ok as this is AIRBNB after all and they are great.
I can only say that all persons should read eveything carefully but of course we dont that how scams get away with it and Airbnb have a huge responsibility to do something about this because if they dont and this scam starts to get out people will just go to another website whos coding is a little better and less hackable.
I love the Airbnd model asI host many apartments on it but when I see this scam and the lack of sympathy shown to victims and that this has been going on for such a long time without being halted then for my Airbnb have failed miserably.
I think all persons who have been hit should get in touch with each other and petition Airbnd to take responsibility and push t stop these scammers because as I see it they are doing nothing and they have the power and resources t do something.
My email is email@example.com if anyone want to share, I will be helping my friend through this.
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Its been said often, but obviously not often enough, as is apparent from numerous victims' stories:
Use PayPal or a credit card which will take the hit if the recipient is not legit. If everyone did this, I'll bet it would go a long way to putting the fraudsters out of business.
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>If you are a new user you follow the instructions and when you are told to wire money for payment it is natural to assume its ok<
Natural to assume? Tons of people do not read directions. Is that really someone else's fault? I'm reminded of the lawsuits regarding immersion stick hand blenders. If a customer chooses not to read the manufacturer's directions, the user might lose a few fingers the hard way. How does any company force a shopper to be smarter?
I became a new Airbnb member just a short while ago and I was a skeptic. I came to them by word of mouth. Several friends insisted that payment goes through Airbnb. No such thing as a wire transfer. I was doubtful. I had to see for myself.
I suppose any successful website has vulnerabilities. Maybe Airbnb can do more to safeguard its servers. I don't know anyone personally who has experienced this scam. If a customer reads the instructions, you quickly learn how to protect yourself. Airbnb is a piece of cake compared to figuring out Ebay.
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It says quite clearly on the airbnb site that "PAYING OUTSIDE THE AIRBNB SYSTEM IS NOT SECURE".
If someone is so careless as to ignore the warnings on the site, and so clueless as to not know that wiring money is a dangerous practice they are liable to pay for their folly. It is not airbnb's fault if someone ignores their procedures.
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I am an Airbnb host and I would like to warn EVERYBODY that the Airbnb website has been subject to widespread hacking.
On the weekend I received an email from Airbnb saying that my password had been changed. I had not changed it, so I went to my Airbnb account and found that it was now assoicated with a password ending in psx829.eu (nothing to do with me).
Also, there were now 2 other FABULOUS and very expensive properties listed under my name which had nothing to do with me. Presumably, the new email address was receiving enquiries for these properties which probably don't even exist.
Fortunately, I changed my password immediately but then the following day I received 2 enquiries for yet another property which was also not mine and had been added to my listing in the meantime. If I had not seen the email telling me my email had been changed I would not have been aware of this.
But Airbnb allowed the email change to happen in the first place by only asking the criminal to confirm the NEW address.
They did not email me at my old email address first to confirm that I was making this change. If hosts don't check their email on an hourly basis then the timeframe for guests getting conned is much greater.
If criminals are able to hack into hosts accounts and add properties, then presumably they are also able to hack around the Airbnb controls which stop hosts and guests communicating directly outside of their website.
Fortunately my bank account details haven't been changed (as far as I can tell) but I have found other examples online of hosts not being able to access their own accounts and receive money that guests have paid to them (perhaps because their bank account details have also been changed).
I have not had any response yet to my emails from Airbnb so I don't know what action they are taking to prevent this happening.
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In the comment I just left, the second sentence should have read
that I received an email from Airbnb saying that my EMAIL ADDRESS had been changed. (NOT MY PASSWORD)
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Luckabee: Maybe this should be on its own thread, not on a topping of an old thread. Did you cancel your entire account?
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Thank you, Luakabee, for posting that information. We are Airbnb host, too, and we will be checking our accounts closely.
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Luakabee, a very interesting side to this story - insight into how people are guided onto the phony listings. I think it's the first we've heard about the mechanics of it and how hosts are caught up in the scams. I have no doubt that the company will adjust to cope. If only the scammers could put their creativity to use in a legitimate way they'd likely get rich instead of the peanuts they must now "earn".
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Hang on a minute.....the way airbnb operates, all payments are held in escrow until AFTER the guest has arrived at the apartment. 24 whole hours in fact. So how would scammers get their payment, even assuming they'd managed to insert false properties on an existing account and swap their bank details for the real host. It just wouldn't happen.
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Yes that is the way airbnb operates when things work correctly.
The whole point of being a hacker is that you are able to get inside the system and change the normal operation of a website.
Scammers are piggy-backing onto legitimate host sites, posting false listings (of fabulous properties) and instead of communication going via airbnb they are diverting it straight to their own email accounts and asking guests to pay them directly. The real host is unaware of any of this.
I only became aware of this when I checked my own listing and found several luxury penthouses on my site that I do not own.
You are right that this CANNOT happen under normal circumstances, but that is what the hackers are doing. Don't ask me how they are doing - I'm not a hacker.
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Well, that still says that you have to communicate outside the airbnb site, AND PAY outside the site, for the hack to work, no?
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Odd that at least three different first and only time posters on this thread have weighed in to support the OP (also first and only post to date, a year later) contention.
Odd that sites like VRBO.com, where it would be entirely possible to scam someone with for instance a nonexistent apartment, do not get similarly trashed here.
We use airbnb as directed on the website, have been very lucky so far.
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Airbnb is definitely stirring up the industry. It's their $100 (or less) cancellation fee that's never been tried before, which is making them a ton of money. Also, holding full payment (sometimes over a year) makes them richer than anyone else. You might as well call them a bank.
It also helps that Airbnb attracts the most serious customers in the playing field. Serious customers tend to be smarter customers. What business wouldn't want those? Add to that their strict in-house policies and user-friendly interface - all in the name of community building - and watch Airbnb's formula be the envy of all.
It's no surprise Airbnb will have competitors worried about their future. Hosts with the best properties are flocking to Airbnb because they want their customers. Seeing first-time posters eager to scream "scam" every chance they get is no surprise. I question any mention of Airbnb "scam" when paying outside the system is at the center of a poster's story.
Why would any thief or hacker want to jump through so many hoops, bypass so many walls, with so little money to gain? Many of these scan stories don't make any sense. But some people are gullible.
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I would suggest their competitors improve their game.
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"I would suggest their competitors improve their game."
What should these competitors do? Turn a blind eye to apartment/homeowners renting out residences in violation of city laws and/or building/HOA rules? That practice seems to be a key part of the AirBnB's success in New York, their number one market.
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That sounds like a different issue. Laws should be obeyed, certainly.
Just out of curiosity, and not to pick on them specifically but can't think of any other competitors right now, I checked vrbo.com for NYC. They proudly annnounce "1,278 Vacation Rentals in New York City."
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Does it make them more virtuous if they have fewer than airbnb?
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<<<What should these competitors do? Turn a blind eye to apartment/homeowners renting out residences in violation of city laws and/or building/HOA rules? That practice seems to be a key part of the AirBnB's success in New York, their number one market.>>>
Illegal apartment rentals for vacations have been around forever. New York City has not been the #1 market for that because there's rarely anything available.
The Airbnb argument about law breaking is all about money and who is getting it. In many ways, the arguments are a non sequitur and a diversion from the overall truth. New York offers plenty of apartments where it is perfectly legal to rent a spare room (space) for a limited time.
Local governments are free to start a war with all their tenants who have extra space and need extra money to survive in this economy, regardless of the rules associated with each building. If you need to pay your medical bills, how powerful and humane with these laws be?
Most of these laws are in place to protect landlords and fellow investors. These laws face new challenges today and are subject to change because, for many people, they affect the basic need for a legal resident to earn extra income. Even in New York, and in large part due to Airbnb's popularity worldwide, the community of Airbnb supporters may have a significant effect on future laws.
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I agree completely with wesleymarsh. Where there are laws prohibiting residential short-term rentals, it's primarily to protect the bottom lines of hoteliers and other commercial accommodations. But as the last poster has said, people must be free to derive income from their residences when necessary for their own bottom lines. I think the time has come for the little guys to fight back, with the support of companies like Airbnb.
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>>New York offers plenty of apartments where it is perfectly legal to rent a spare room (space) for a limited time.<<
Not actually true. One has to consider co-op and condo rules as well -- maybe 1% are actually legit for short term rental. (That doesn't include apartment hotels - which are fine)
vrbo and airbnb both list NY properties that can't be rented either legally or 'legitmately'
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Where there are laws prohibiting residential short-term rentals, it's primarily to protect the bottom lines of hoteliers and other commercial accommodations
A registered B&B run by a family is as small a guy as the person renting a house or an apartment via airbnb; and perhaps smaller as I noticed that often the same person comes up when looking at airbnb rentals in the same town. Why should one pay the hotel tax and not the other? Airbnb is a business as much as running any other short term rental.
On our street, just one block long, in a city with a housing shortage, two houses were sold in the last year. One was a two unit house, of which one unit was converted into a airbnb rental, the other is a single family house converted into a airbnb rental. There is reason to control airbnb rentals other than payment of the hotel tax.
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I agree with you, Michael, that Airbnb hosts and all short-term rental providers should pay the appropriate taxes. I didn't say they shouldn't.
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Paris, at least, has similar laws outlawing short term rentals. The laws make sense in very desirable cities where the middle class has been priced out, partly by very large cats buying investment and pieds-à-terre.
I also noticed London airbnb apartments that were obviously owned by absentee landlords of at least several properties. Reading listings carefully is a good idea. I'd be fine with enforcing hotel tax for all such places.
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Have to take issue with the last post. I use airbnb and have had no problem whatsoever with email contact and can post CS responses as proof if necessary.
The charges are stated up front, quite clearly, and even when added to the apartment rental costs, the overall package is usually still an absolute bargain compared with various well known holiday companies that oversee cottage rentals etc.
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I agree completely with RM67, having now had dozens of smooth transactions as well as a number of completely responsive communications with the company. I suspect it says far more about some aspect of toniverdi's way of doing business than of Airbnb's. And can't help but wonder, if it was so fraught for him, why has he used them "quite a lot". It really does make one wonder. And likely to disregard the entire comment.
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maggy_patrick: Don't hold your breath. Those three were one-post-wonders. They registered to post on this thread but never returned to the the forums. (those sorts of trolls crawl out of the woodwork all the time - about half of the posts on this thread are similar)
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Maggy_patrick, I rent all the time and have never had any scams. Lovely places in Paris, Florence, Edinburgh, Munich and the USA.
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It doesn't sound as though it's going to be a very balanced article given it only requests contact from people who've had problems...
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I just want to share that I almost got scammed by someone who had a listing on airbnb. I contacted someone through the website and i should have know the price was too good to be true. He contacted me back almost immediately with this response:
"Text me on whats app +1 a(347)685)c(4061)
Let's discuss more, Ensure to remove the letters between
So you see, there is a way that they can get their # to you. I contacted him and got a little suspicious. Especially when he asked for me to make a transfer through western union. I asked if there was a way to pay through airbnb since I know they are legit. His response:
"I'm sorry but we don't take AIRBNB because they charge you $150 and have a new charge of $300 on we the host, While western union charges less than $60"
Also, about an hour later I got an email from airbnb trust. They reached out to me bcuz this person had tried to contact me. So they removed his account and asked for me to halt any communications.
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So, why did you contact him? That very first response should have been a red flag. Good to hear that AirBnB contacted you, though.
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I think that's good warning, some people just don't pay attention to the website's terms. Even duhhitsdina went ahead and contacted the person, even though you aren't supposed to. The person was obviously a crook trying to use Airbnb for advertising but not adhere to their terms. Glad Airbnb cancelled them.
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I've read about half of the posts. Nukesafe seems to be an apologist for Airbnb.
Disclaimer, I have been a guest and host on Airbnb for years since their inception. Their system is not perfect.
Yes, you CAN contact people outside the system. You just need to be clever.
And the mgt at Airbnb does not care. I had rented one of my properties long-term through regular channels. My tenant, I discovered, was renting it out via Airbnb and making 3x the rent over what she was paying me. Subletting is illegal. Renting an apt which you do not own is against the policies of Airbnb. This tenant and her real estate mother had 6 properties they were renting on various sites and making a killing. When I contacted Airbnb about this person who had multiple listings, they ignored me. I was informing them of someone who was committing policy violations at least and a crime at worst via their site.
So yes, the scam mentioned by original post was possible. The poster also was clear he did not expect a refund from Airbnb but only wanted to warn them about a false ad on the site. Airbnb should have thanked the poster and maybe even offered a "reward."
All of you who belittled the original poster as not following policies missed the point of the post.
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BCNLucca: >>I. . . apologist for Airbnb.<<
You will find lots of threads about airBNB on Fodors. Many pro- a few con- and lots just asking questions.
there are 3 or 4 Fodorites who get their knickers in a twit whenever someone posts anything the least bit negative. I think I called them acolytes on another thread - not quite a 'cult' but close.
Do I think there are good things about airbnb - absolutely. But there are also bad things that can (and have happened) . Folks should be able to honestly talk about the good AND the bad but that isn't easy . . .
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Here is NYC Airbnb is a big problem. Most apartment buildings (cooperatives and condominiums) DO NOT PERMIT short term rentals. All rentals (and guests for longer than a short period) actually must be pre-approved. Have heard stories of people showing up, but the building prohibiting their stay. BUYER BEWARE. I'm way to skeptical of "deals." Yes, also frightened of "what if." Give me a modest, small hotel or guest house, with a website and Fodors or Tripadvisor or Yelp reviews. I AM NOT A FAN OF AIRBNB and would NEVER, repeat NEVER, jeopardize my hard earned money, nor safety.
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I AM NOT A FAN OF AIRBNB and would NEVER, repeat NEVER, jeopardize my hard earned money, nor safety.<?i>
What is true of NYC is not universal. But there is the difficulty of knowing where this type of issue exists elsewhere.
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Booked accommodation through airbnb. airbnb client took my money, no accommodation provided. Airbnb refused to take responsibility and refused to refund me. EBAY and Amazon would assume responsibility and protect the integrity of their markets. Not Airbnb. Their market has no integrity and is doomed. BEWARE! DO NOT USE AIRBNB!
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How exactly did that happen? I thought airbnb did not release the money to the property owner until the renter had arrived and OKed the place.
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Goodietwo seems to be another who signed up just to bash Airbnb.
It takes more than one post here to have any credibility.
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Although Airbnb may be viewed by some as a great service scams on Airbnb are not uncommon and users should be aware.
By way of example, a recent property advertised in Sydney was simply a scammed copy of a listing on another popular Australian rental site.
Airbnb implies that they have security measures in place. I note, however, that in this example Airbnb still permitted the copied advertised property to list on the Airbnb site with the e-mail address of the scammer provided in a picture format.
As Airbnb's scanning system is not sufficiently advanced enough to process text in picture format the whole Airbnb text scanning security system was immediately bypassed by the scammer.
When I contacted Airbnb to advise them of this scam they were disinterested in viewing the source files and simply stated that all users should use the Airbnb e-mail system... now that sure is a way of showing appreciation.
Until Airbnb provides a real "verification" of users (i.e. more security than that provided by a LinkedIn and Facebook account) and proper scanning of images then undoubtedly scammers will continue to make use of Airbnb as their preferred and free marketing medium.
If you are to use Airbnb make sure you don't make direct contact with hosts, however, my advice is to look around at other rental sites which have lower fees, better security measures than Airbnb, and internet security teams that actually give a damn!
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I live in Berlin, Germany. The Airbnb website has a high reputation in Germany and is widely used. I want to make users aware of the following issue because it might concern other cities/countries as well and prevents people from getting tricked. Their emails are in English.
Several cases of fake appartment offers are on the major proporty website in germany, immowelt.de. When contacting the supposed owners of the property, they reply by saying that the owner is not living in Germany therefore Airbnb will manage the delivery of key and contract.
The keys are delivered after an inital deposit is made.
I suppose the German property website (immowelt.de) is not the only vehicel to trick appartment seekers. If you receive a similar reply like below, be aware that the offer is a fraud.
Below are 2 original emails I received after contacting them via immowelt.de
You can rent the apartment for min. 2 months and max. 5 years but we can
renew the contract. The apartment is fully furnished, but if you want, you
can rent it unfurnished. The utilities costs are included.
As I told you in my first e-mail, I am in UK with my work right now. Before
leaving Germany I had prearranged the deal with Airbnb Company so my
presence in Germany isn't necessary. The keys and all needed papers are in
their possession, ready for delivery. You will have 3 days to inspect the
the apartment before rent it. Airbnb will start the delivery for the keys
and the contract to you, but first you must deposit the value of 2 rental
months (700 euro) in their account. So if you want to make this deal please
login to the www.Airbnb.com website, and after that please send me the
following details:
Full name and address
Shipping address
Airbnb username
After I'll receive your details I will forward them to Airbnb and I will
proceed the order. Airbnb will contact you with all the details that you
need, to complete this deal. Waiting your email with the requested details.
Best regards,
Maria Hanson
You can rent the apartment
for min. 2 months and max. 8 years, but after the 8 years we can renew
the contract. The apartment is fully furnished, but if you want, you can
rent it unfurnished.As I told you in my first e-mail, I am
in Poland with my work right now. Before leaving Germany I had
prearranged the deal with Airbnb agency so my presence in Germany isn't
necessary. The keys and all needed papers are in their possession, ready
for delivery. You will have 3 days to inspect the apartment before rent
it. Airbnb will start the delivery for the keys and the
contract to you, but first you must deposit the value of 2 rental months
600 euro ( Kaution ) in their bank account. The deposit that you have to pay in advance is 100 % refundable if you don't like the apartment.Airbnb requests payment in advance to be sure that the client really has the intention of renting the apartment.
if you want to make this deal please login to the " Airbnb.com "
website, and after that please send me the following details: Full name :Address : Airbnb username:Another email: Phone Number:
I'll receive your details I will forward them to Airbnb and I will
proceed the order. They will send you an invoice with the payment and
delivery instructions and all you have to do is follow these
instructions and we will not have any problems .
PS. If you are decided to view the apartment let me know because there is another person interested in reserving it!
Best regards,Dr. Hanna Wojciechowska
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If you sent the host any identifying information, like your name, your city, they could google you and find your email address, especially if they are good at cheating people and have programs to find these things. Anyone can find out the real name of someone if they have a few clues by googling what they do have. Then they can use your email address to pretend to be making a sanctioned airbnb transaction. Don't feel too bad, it wasn't your fault! They were the ones who were dishonest.
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The OP started this thread over two years ago, so any advice is no longer needed.
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"...The OP started this thread over two years ago, so any advice is no longer needed..."
oh.. no more warnings about possible fraud out there? It's only getting worse.
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No, Sorry, I meant the OP no longer needed it.
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I hope these threads stay alive because friends of mine were just SUPER scammed.. with a hacking on ownerdirect in Ibiza, for a HUGE house for two families high season.. . so.. it DOES happen.
I'm not sure they saw any red flags. Waiting ot hear more details when they get back.
Fortunately the bank account used to receive transfer is here in Madrid, so they HOPE the police can trace this more easily. We shall see.
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I hope these threads stay alive because friends of mine were just SUPER scammed..
Wouldn't the obvious red flag be a deposit to a bank account when it comes to airbnb? I just prepaid for a room, but my understanding is that the owners do not get the money until 24 hours after our first night there.
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"...my understanding is that the owners do not get the money until 24 hours after..."
Almost right - after check-in.
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I found a similar 'too good to be true' rental in Craigslist...yes we were a little desperate. I got a response back from the individual who claimed to be the property manager, sent me laughable contracts with misspellings, demanded a 50% deposit wired to a bank account. She was stupid enough to give me her full name and two Wells Fargo account numbers. If those are legit, I don't know. I did enough investigating to find that the home was actually on the market or available to rent for 4x what I was being 'charged'. I contacted the Sarasota sheriff's department, sent them the information and hopefully, they will close her down. The odd thing was when contacted the real estate office representing the sellers and they could have cared less. Funny...if i had someone falsely renting one of my listing, I'd be out there in a heartbeat to make sure there were no squatters or that the locks had been picked and changed!
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it wasn't airbnb.. and I have no idea what would have seemed strange to someone using a website for the first time that is called "ownerdirect".
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it wasn't airbnb..
That needed to be said since the title of this thread is "Airbnb Scam"
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I did say so in my post.. BEFORE I repeated i for clarification. It was "ownerdirect".. but basically.. similar systems and scams on rentals. Little difference.
Just a heads up as there is a lot of this going on.
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With ownerdirect, doesn't the renter pay the owner or property manager directly? It looks like that on the website. In that respect, Ownerdirect is the opposite of Airbnb. If anyone advertising on Airbnb asked for money to be paid to them directly, I would refuse and not do business with them because they are trying to cheat by using Airbnb for advertising and not pay their commission to Airbnb. Paying the owner directly is not how Airbnb works.
With Airbnb, anyway, the renter is supposed to pay Airbnb, and the owner is paid only after the renter has checked in. If the renter is not happy with the place and does not stay, they contact Airbnb and the owner does not get paid. That is if the renter follows the rules for Airbnb. If the renter simply does not check in and also does not cancel, the the owner will get paid, at least for the first night. If the renter does not like the place, but still decides to stay, the owner gets paid. That has been the case in my transactions with them. I gave no money to the owners, not a penny.
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My husband and I have used Airbrb as travelers several times, in the US and now this summer in Europe. All have been very good positive experiences. Except this latest one. We booked an apartment in Athens with great reviews, pictures, referrals and long-time hosts. The communication was good, however it has been through a management company called "Eazybnb Team. The day before arriving we received a message saying "unfortunately, something came up and we can't be there to meet you, so please pick up the keys at this address, which happened to be a parking lot. We looked over the reviews and sure enough others people had done the same. We also weren't too surprised as in the past we have picked up keys at places like laudromats etc. after picking up the keys we proceed about 3blocks to the flat. Also,the cab driver from the airport was quite surprised we were staying in that neighbourhood, he said it was a little on the "sketchy"side. But the the airbnb posting said it was really central and in a good hood. When we arrived at the flat, there were three padlocks on the door, the area around the door was littered with flyers and junk mail. At that point we were skeptical to go inside. My husband unlocked the door, and what we saw/found looked like a crime scene, or crack house. We only popped our heads in. We immediately locked up, and literally ran down the 2flighta of stairs and got out of there. We went to the nearest olive station, they listened to our story/situation but didn't really want to get involved. They said we could go back and call emergency police. But they also said it was a bad hood, and didn't recommend we go back. They were compassionate and nice. Found us a hotel. We messages airbnb ASAP. Have sent them 5-6messages, it's been 3days and we have not heard a peep from them. We also tried calling the airbnb in Greece but there is a long que of about 30minutes on hold and we cannot hold up the hotel line for that long. We also called the airbnb host number, but it's out of service. We have some financial wounds, perhaps we'll be able to recoup. Right now this whole thing is a mystery. We haven't contacted the host via the airbnb site as to the police instructions. We have one more night here in Athens and we may send them a message, giving them instructions to retrieve the keys. We are suppose to leave them with parking ate exempt however that's not going to happen. Long story......will we use airbnb again? Yup, one booked in Berlin.
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If you didn't stay at the property AirBnB is supposed to refund your money. Did that not happen?
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And did you not get the address and check out the neighborhood in advance? The story is a bit unbelievable to me.
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Believe me it's TRUE!! No, we have not heard back from airbnb. And, how is a person suppose to check out the property?? We have stayed at airbnb's many times, but this is our first bad experience. We also are airbnb hosts.
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I'm very sorry you got stung! I am very surprised you did not hear back from Airbnb promptly, though. We had a bad experience with an Airbnb rental in Amsterdam shortly after Airbnb started, about five years ago. We could not contact Airbnb as it was a Friday night and the Airbnb "hotline" was shut down. Since then the hotline has been upgraded and is available 24/7, we have been told.
I hope you took some pictures of the place to show how unsuitable it was. Do you mind sharing the listing with us? I'd like to see how it has been reviewed.
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F1racegirl - I don't find this story unbelievable. What else should they have done? Btw I checked your website and it's wonderful.
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I don't think it is unbelievable either but F1 has a good point :
- always check a place via googlemap...
I also learnt it the hard way.
And Corindu, I think you did the right thing once there (I know we would have done the same). Maybe you can block the money via your credit card ?
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Michelene-which website did you check out? The one I posted above was the Airbnb we we're suppose to stay at. We did check out the neighborhood in terms of location, safty etc, read the reviews and it seemed fine. However, what the police informed us is that with the recent Greece crisis, there are a lot of desperate people, in addition to the crisis, Greece is dealing with an influx of illegal immigrants from Syria, Africa and other war torn countries. Therefore, crime etc is up. We didn't even think of taking photos, we were quite sacred and just wanted to get out of there. There were no lights in the building hallway and the foyer in front of the apartment was littered with junk/flyer mail. It's was obvious that no one had been around looking after or cleaning the place. We have finally heard from Airbnb, six days later and hopefully they will deal with this. We also messaged the listing, but have not heard from them. We are very disappointed with Airbnb, and are losing faith and trust in the company. Five years ago, when it was small, they were able to keep up with stuff like this when it happened (probably not too often), however it's a very different company now. Most likely understaffed and really all about money. Airbnb should have an emergency number that travelers could call when abroad. The 1-800 number did not work nor did the number they have listed for Greece.
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Several months ago, someone posted an AirBnB listing on another website that turned out to be a scam - interior photos were lifted from hotel ads, scenes of the Eiffel Tower viewed through the windows were lifted from magazine ads - luckily, they asked if anyone had stayed there, and someone recognized the photos.
There are a lot of scams, not just on AirBnB. People are desperate in Greece, but there are greedy people everywhere.
In the Spring, we stopped to help people with luggage who were trying to get into an obviously abandoned building in the Marais. There is no door, just plywood nailed over the opening. No keyhole, no entry code system, nada. They had already paid everything up front with PayPal and the phone number they showed us for the "owner" was invalid. The building is still vacant.
Over the last few years, several people have tried to access our own building because they have booked an apartment which has never existed here (vacation rentals are not permitted, per unanimous agreement of the residents). All of them have paid in full in advance, have the correct address but no keys, no door code, and don't know which of the 7 floors the apartment is on. They have instructions to sit in the doorway until someone comes to greet them - which never happens. According to the police, the "owner" lives near the coast in the North of England, and is apparently very good at what he does.
Now that there are so many vacation rentals on the market, it's easy for scammers to blend in and appear legitimate. And much more difficult for people to do in-depth research.
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Sorry corindu I was referring to f1racegirl's website in her profile. I think you did everything you could. It will be interesting to hear how Airbnb deals with this. How frustrating that the 1-800 number did not work.
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Thanks Micheline. I was just thinking that if the neighborhood was a bad as the OP describes then it might have been obvious on Google street view.
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One word about the photos that appear on the Airbnb site that some might not be aware of; if you look at the upper right corner of the apartment's photos you will see a small Airbnb symbol. Looks like a triangle with a loop on the bottom. That means it is an Airbnb certified photo taken by an Airbnb photographer. I'm not saying that this could not be faked by some scam artist who is already lifting pictures out of magazines, but it something to take into consideration.
In most of the cities in which Airbnb listings are available the company pays a professional photographer to go out and take shots of the property. This is done free of charge for the host, and is done to give some legitimacy to the listing and to minimize scams. We had it done for our rental guest room in the tiny city in which we live north of Seattle, so I assume that service is available in a lot of locations.
All I am saying is that this could be another tool in doing your due diligence when you are looking for a rental.
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There are far too many scams both on the host and travel side. A few months ago there was a host in Calgary, Canada who's property was damaged by legitimate travelers (who they met in person), upwards of $100,000. It made headlines in North America, not sure if internationally. It's so sad that there are bad apples, who ruin it for the rest of us! An update on my Airbnb situation. I now have a "case worker". I've had to fill,out a "resolution" form and send it to the hosts. They have three days to respond. Either with a refund or a "no". At which time I'm to contact the case worker and involve Airbnb. At this point (I'm only out $245), I don't really care about the money. However, this listing which is seriously wrong, needs to be investigated by Airbnb and sht-down. I hope they don't wash their hands of it.
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Update on my recent Airbnb situation: Finally, over two weeks later Airbnb has refunded all but $45. I had to fill out a Resolution form to the hosts however, they're was no response from them. Airbnb did put a limit of 72 hours for them to respond. I then filled out another Resolution form to involve Airbnb and within a couple of hours I got my refund. This listing is still active and I've strongly urged Airbnb to physically investigate, whether they do or not is a big question.
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