Scam guides
Know the scam before you book
Accommodation scams follow a handful of patterns. Each guide explains the warning signs you can check yourself – and what our investigation checks automatically.
Asked to pay outside Booking.com or Airbnb? Treat it as a scam
A message asks you to re-confirm your card or pay via a link, WhatsApp or bank transfer? How the off-platform payment scam works and how to check the listing.
Read the guide →Hijacked listings: a real profile, a different owner
Scammers take over real properties with years of good reviews and rename them. Warning signs: name vs. URL mismatch, rating split, odd category and a brand-new host.
Read the guide →Stolen photos: the clearest sign of a fake listing
Fake listings borrow photos from real hotels and apartments. How to reverse-search listing photos, spot AI-generated interiors and compare them with Street View.
Read the guide →Not on Google Maps? When the address doesn't add up
Hundreds of reviews but no Google Maps place, a map pin kilometres away or a building that looks different in Street View: what it means and how to check a listing.
Read the guide →How to check an Airbnb listing before you book
How to tell whether an Airbnb listing is real: brand-new hosts, contact details in the description, below-market prices, stolen photos and requests to pay off-platform.
Read the guide →The license number: a check many fake listings fail
Italian rentals must display a CIN code, and its digits reveal the province. How to check a listing's registration number in Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and Greece.
Read the guide →Got a listing that doesn't feel right?
Paste the link. The basic check is free and usually ready within minutes.