A lot of Michigan State fans are scurrying to line up accommodations in Minneapolis-St. Paul for the NCAA Final Four, and that has the team at Airbnb issuing a cautionary alert about potential third-party scammers trying to get your hard earned cash.
The private rental company is concerned that with Minneapolis hotels already sold out, those in search of Airbnb deals might end up being mislead and fall victim to websites specifically designed to mimic the look and style of Airbnb, but are in fact fraudulent pages. The first caution that Airbnb tees up is the always sage advice: “If a deal seems too good to be true, chances are it is.”
The caution stems from activity that Airbnb officials have seen on their site encouraging basketball fans to book their stays on a third-party website outside of Airbnb with the claim that the rental is actually being managed by the company when, in fact, that is not true. They try to shuttle you to third-party sites that have ripped off the Airbnb look and style.
The team at Airbnb issued the alarm in a warning and advice post for Michigan State fans and alums saying, “With Minneapolis hotels reportedly already sold out, travelers can still find safe, affordable options via the Twin Cities Airbnb host community,” adding, “With most travelers booking on short notice without the benefit of weeks to prepare their trip, Airbnb is prioritizing safety guidance to Twin Cities travelers to ensure secure and extraordinary experiences for both hosts and guests during the tournament.”
The company calls the con artists, “bad actors who attempt to entice guests to book on third-party websites that are not a part of Airbnb.”
They also strongly encourage all basketball fans and other travelers as well to always talk to their prospective hots and make payments through the official Airbnb site.
Airbnb says that it’s major events such as the NCAA Final Four that brings out the scammer community not just at the ticket counter, but also in travel deals of all sorts. They remind the Airbnb community that they never ask you to pay anything outside of their website or by email or through third-party booking agents.
The company also offered several tips, including:
- Utilize search filters on Airbnb
- Read reviews (especially from February of 2018, when Minneapolis hosted the Super Bowl)
- Stay in touch with potential hosts on the site
- Safety check — learn where emergency equipment and safety information is located
- Reach out to Airbnb if something doesn’t seem right
Keep in mind that if you strike a too good to be true deal and use a wire transfer to pay only to find out that the home doesn’t even exist, it will be too late to recover your money.
