This doesn’t exactly put the “real” in real estate. A Corcoran agent, who owns a home in the Hamptons, has found herself entangled in an Airbnb scam.
Sarah Stewart, the homeowner, was taken aback when she received a call inquiring about wiring $25,000 for a rental request that she knew nothing about, as reported by The Real Deal.
It turns out her East Hampton property had been fraudulently listed on the platform without her knowledge.
Stewart typically rents out her five-bedroom Hamptons abode through Corcoran during the spring and summer seasons, but never through Airbnb.
The property, boasting proximity to the ocean and two outdoor showers, is currently available for $175,000 for the month of August through Labor Day.
Stewart expressed her shock at discovering the scam when the prospective renter mentioned the unauthorized request for payment.
“It’s terribly upsetting and violating my privacy,” Stewart told the outlet. “I’m at a loss.”
She promptly contacted Airbnb to have the fraudulent listing removed.
Despite initial removal efforts by Airbnb, the listing resurfaced shortly after.
Stewart escalated her complaint within Airbnb’s customer service channels, only to be advised to communicate directly with the supposed “host” and disclose her contact details — an unsettling proposition for Stewart due to concerns over her personal information.
Ultimately, it was a copyright takedown notice from Corcoran that prompted Airbnb to strip the listing for good, according to TRD.
“Who knows what that person or persons will do with my information,” Stewart added.
While the ordeal left Stewart deeply disturbed, Airbnb assured that such incidents aren’t common.
“Fake listings have no place in our community, and following investigation, we removed the user and listing from the platform,” Airbnb said in a statement. “Issues like this on Airbnb are rare, we continually invest in strengthening our defenses through measures like listing verification, and we protect guest bookings through safeguards like our secure payment processes, policies and Aircover support.”
This incident underscores the ongoing battle against fraudulent listings on Airbnb.
Just last September, CEO Brian Chesky emphasized the company’s efforts to crack down on fake listings, revealing the removal of 59,000 such listings and the prevention of an additional 157,000 from appearing on the platform that year alone.
Airbnb pledged to implement AI technology to verify listings in its top five markets as part of its strategy to uphold integrity and trust within its system.
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