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Verified Airbnb Hosts Are Being Hijacked in a New Wave of Fraud
A Monday podcast discussion has exposed a sharp escalation in Airbnb-related scams, with fraud activity now 30 times higher than it was in the first half of 2023. The threat is no longer coming from obviously fake accounts. Instead, criminals are hijacking legitimate, verified host profiles with years of five-star reviews and using them to publish fraudulent listings, according to Skift. On Skift's "Good Morning Hospitality" podcast, hosts Brandreth Canaley, Michael Goldin, and Jamie Lane discussed the new reality facing both travelers and professional hosts. The conversation opened with a stark warning: scammers are no longer building fake accounts from scratch. They are commandeering long-standing host profiles and exploiting the trust those accounts have accumulated over years of successful bookings. This shift in tactics represents a broader evolution in cybercrime, where attackers weaponize the very reputation and verification systems platforms rely on to protect users.How the Account Takeover Scam Works
Once criminals gain access to a verified host account, often through phishing, credential stuffing, or purchased login data from cybercrime marketplaces, they use the compromised profile to create fake property listings. These listings frequently appear in high-demand destinations and are priced attractively to generate quick interest. According to TechRadar, the hijacked accounts carry authentic verification badges, extensive review histories, and completed identity checks. All the traditional signals travelers use to assess safety are present. This makes the scam difficult to detect until it is too late. "Rather than building fake profiles from scratch, cybercriminals are increasingly compromising verified host accounts, exploiting the platform trust those accounts have already earned," according to research from cybersecurity firms Saily and NordStellar cited by TechRadar. After securing a booking, scammers often attempt to move the transaction off-platform, requesting payments via bank transfer, cryptocurrency, or third-party links. Once the money is transferred, the listing disappears, the account is locked, and the traveler is left without accommodation and no recourse for a refund.Summer Travel Pressure Amplifies the Risk
The timing of this surge is significant. Summer travel demand and cost-of-living pressures have made deal-seeking travelers more vulnerable. Guests hunting for cheaper accommodation in high-demand locations are more likely to overlook red flags when they believe they have found a bargain. Airbnb has reported blocking approximately 265,000 suspicious listings in 2025, according to TechRadar. But account takeover scams can bypass many of the platform's safeguards because they originate from trusted, established profiles. The system is designed to catch new fake accounts, not to detect when a legitimate account has been compromised and is being operated by a criminal. Security experts cited by TechRadar are advising travelers to keep all communication and payments within the Airbnb platform, to avoid any off-platform payment requests, and to treat unusually attractive listings in high-demand areas with caution. They also recommend using reverse image searches and street-view tools to verify that properties match their listings.Professional Hosts Are Collateral Damage
The victims of this scam are not only travelers. Professional Airbnb hosts who have spent years building their reputations, responding quickly to guest inquiries, maintaining their properties, and earning five-star reviews are now watching their accounts become commodities on cybercrime marketplaces. "This surge is attributed to a shift in tactics, where attackers are now exploiting the trust built into established platforms rather than creating their own fraudulent identities," TechRadar noted in its coverage of Airbnb scams. A hijacked host account can be used to commit fraud across multiple listings before the platform detects the takeover and shuts it down. By that time, the damage to the host's reputation, income stream, and relationship with Airbnb can be severe. Hosts may find themselves locked out of their own accounts, facing chargebacks, disputes, and the loss of their Superhost status. Experts frame this surge as part of a broader trend in cybercrime where attackers prefer to compromise existing trusted accounts in sectors such as banking, email, and social media, rather than build new fraudulent identities.The Booking Calculus Just Changed
This is not a marginal uptick in fraud. A 30-fold increase in scam activity means the risk landscape has fundamentally changed. Travelers who have relied on Airbnb's verification badges, review scores, and host tenure as proxies for safety need to rethink their approach. The core issue is that trust signals, when compromised, become more dangerous than no signals at all. A blank profile with no reviews triggers suspicion. A profile with 200 five-star reviews, verified identity, and eight years of hosting history does not. That is precisely why criminals are targeting these accounts. For travelers, the practical takeaway is clear: never move payment off-platform, no matter how convincing the request. If a host asks for a wire transfer, a crypto payment, or a deposit through a third-party link, walk away. No legitimate transaction requires leaving Airbnb's payment system. Use reverse image search tools to verify property photos. Check the listing location on street view to confirm the property exists and matches the images. Read reviews carefully for any inconsistencies or sudden gaps in activity. And if a deal seems too good to be true in a high-demand market during peak season, it probably is. For hosts, the advice is equally urgent: enable two-factor authentication on your Airbnb account, use a unique password that is not shared with any other service, and monitor your account activity regularly. If you receive any suspicious login attempts or password reset requests you did not initiate, assume your credentials have been compromised and change them immediately. The professionalization of account takeover fraud in the travel sector is not going away. Platforms will continue to improve their defenses, but the economics of cybercrime favor the attackers. Verified accounts with years of history will remain valuable targets. The only reliable defense is vigilance from both travelers and hosts, and a refusal to treat trust signals as foolproof.More travel news
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About the Author
Jeff Colhoun
Jeff Colhoun is an acclaimed travel writer, photographer, and filmmaker, whose work is respected both in the United States and internationally.
