by TerranceBoyce
Tue Oct 20, 2015 4:51 am
http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Airbnb-scam-Sophisticated-fraudsters-swindle-600/story-27717048-detail/story.html
September 02, 2015
Fraud victim Richard Burgess lost hundreds of pounds after falling foul of a scam which targets prospective holidaymakers.
The 22-year-old, from Broughton Astley, was swindled by criminals posing as other users on the accommodation booking website, Airbnb.
Richard thought he was booking a trip to Amsterdam, but instead was playing into the hands of a sophisticated scam.
Fraudsters had also sent Richard official looking e-mails as well as asking him to transfer payment directly in a Barclays bank account.
His personal profile – which every Airbnb customer must create before using the service – was also hacked and his information altered.
The cyber-crime has left him £690 out of pocket and Richard said he wanted to warn other people about the scam.
Richard said he had not been offered compensation or any gesture of goodwill by Airbnb, though Barclays said it would reimburse him to the tune of £6.32.
Richard said: "I alerted both the UK police and Barclays to this issue as the online forums and coverage I have read had all been with Barclays accounts.
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