Avoid Travel Scams with Airbnb's New Financial Crimes Alliance

Airbnb and Financial Crimes Union Targets Travel Scammers

As travellers start planning their holidays for the rest of the year, Airbnb has partnered with the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators (IAFCI) to help consumers book safely online and avoid travel scams. According to new consumer research from YouGov, Gen Z and Millennials are the most likely to admit to falling for a scam, with victims losing an average of INR 1,02,233.

The research, commissioned by Airbnb, also reveals that finding good deals has become increasingly important amid the rising cost of living. Nearly half of Indian travellers would be less vigilant when booking a holiday if it meant saving significant money. Additionally, over 40 percent would take a risk to save money, even if they think a deal is too good to be true.

These findings highlight the importance of using a recognized provider, especially when spending money online. As a platform built on trust, Airbnb has invested in measures to help our community safeguard their information and bookings. These measures include dedicated teams and systems to deter scams proactively, on-platform messaging between users, reminders to stay on Airbnb to communicate, book, and pay, and guest payment protections, like withholding payment for a stay until 24 hours after check-in.

As online scams become more sophisticated with the advent of technology like AI, fraudsters may try to exploit those searching for a travel deal by using fake websites, texts, emails, or social media to trick people into believing they’re booking with a legitimate company. As part of its trust efforts, Airbnb tackles third-party attempts to exploit the brand and urges users to report suspicious websites or emails for investigation. In the past 12 months, its team detected and mitigated almost 2,500 third-party phishing domains globally.

Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager for Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, said: “We want to ensure Indian travellers know what to look for when booking travel and the red flags to avoid. When booking on Airbnb, we encourage our guests to communicate, book, and pay on the platform, where we have secure processes and support like Aircover to help protect against scams and ensure issues are rare.”