Many travelers are now booking their accommodation at their holiday destination through the platform Airbnb: But beware, there is currently a nasty scam going around there.

This is how the scam works on the booking platform Airbnb.

Users should become suspicious if they can only contact the alleged landlords via email or are supposed to do so because, according to Airbnb, no inquiries could be accepted. Such behavior can confidently be assumed to be a scam, warns the consumer protection portal "Watchlist Internet." If one responds to such an email, they are instructed to continue the booking on the booking portal Booking.com due to supposed technical problems, and a link is sent for this purpose. However, this link does not lead to the real Booking.com site but to a fake page that has been deceptively reconstructed to look like the real one. Personal data is also already captured on it, and one is only supposed to make a transfer – if this is done, the money has already gone to the scammers and is usually never seen again. The only way to recognize this is by the internet address (URL), which differs from the real one and, for example, starts with "booking.stays," as Watchlist Internet notes.

What helps against this scam?

Book accommodations only through Airbnb and do not be tempted to click on other links: Any request to contact a landlord via email or being redirected to other platforms indicates fraud. To further secure yourself, Watchlist Internet recommends verifying the accommodation through a search via Google Maps. If there are discrepancies, caution is also advised. Additionally, it is worthwhile to search for the accommodation on Booking.com beforehand. If it is not found there or the details differ, you should definitely steer clear. Another option is to directly contact Booking.com or Airbnb to inquire whether it is a legitimate booking process. If you have fallen victim to a scam, report it and notify Airbnb about the incident!