![]() ![]() The bad news, which went unstated, was that I had unknowingly stumbled into a nationwide web of deception that appeared to span eight cities and nearly 100 property listings-an undetected scam created by some person or organization that had figured out just how easy it is to exploit Airbnb’s poorly written rules in order to collect thousands of dollars through phony listings, fake reviews, and, when necessary, intimidation. “It’s about three times bigger,” the man said. Then he added that I needed to decide immediately if I was willing to change my reservation.Īs if he could hear me calculating in my head how much of a hassle it would be to find a hotel instead, he then added something else to his pitch. He said that he was at work and didn’t really have time to chat. Hoping to talk in person, I asked him if he was in the area. Now, we were facing our second potential disaster in 30 days, and I couldn’t help but feel slightly suspicious of the man on the phone, who had called me from a number with a Los Angeles area code. Sure, the house looked a little basic in the photos online, but it was nice enough, especially considering the time crunch-light-filled, spacious, and close to the Blue Line. ![]() While scrambling to find something else, I stumbled upon a local Airbnb rental listed by a couple, Becky and Andrew. Around a month before, a first Airbnb host had already canceled, leaving us with little time to figure out alternative housing. The trip had gotten off to a rough start even before the call. We had purchased tickets to attend the September music festival Riot Fest, where Blink-182 and Taking Back Sunday were scheduled to perform. I had flown with two friends to the city in hopes of a relaxing end-of-summer getaway. ![]()
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