NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — With hotels booking up, Airbnb warns UConn fans traveling to Houston for the Final Four of third-party scams that may be out to get their money.
The No. 4 Huskies will battle the No. 5 Miami Hurricanes on Saturday, April 1 at NRG Stadium in Houston.
While Husky fans can still find affordable options with Airbnb Hosts, Airbnb expects a significant spike in bookings to the Houston area over the next few days out of Connecticut.
The online rental platform stated during major events like this, people sometimes try to take advantage by exploiting brands of trusted platforms like Airbnb.
Airbnb said it has recently seen a rise in scammers who attempt to get guests to book on third-party websites that have no relation to Airbnb. The people ask the would-be guest to wire money to book the reservation, but the page is fake, the home doesn’t exist, and by the time the guest realizes this, the money is gone.
According to Airbnb, there are a few things you can do to help protect yourself against scams:
- When looking for listings, travelers should always start directly on Airbnb.com or the Airbnb app
- Search and book with confidence: Use search filters to make sure you are getting exactly what you need.
- Read the ratings and reviews: Guests can look through the feedback from past guests.
- Get questions answered: Ask hosts questions before your arrival through Airbnb.
- Do a safety check: Make sure to check out the space when you arrive for safety reasons.
- If anything isn’t right, reach out. Contact Airbnb staff right away.
