Short-term rental scam in downtown Vancouver happening on another well-known booking platform
When Colbin Wong saw a CTV News investigation into a short-term rental scam involving fake tenants signing long-term leases on downtown Vancouver condos only to turn around and list them on Airbnb, he knew he needed to come forward.
“We are really glad you got this out there on Airbnb. We also want to share that it’s being done on Booking.com,” said Wong, whose partner fell victim to the scam.
Wong says his partner found a man named John who she thought was a great long-term tenant in May, and he signed a one-year lease on her furnished two-bedroom downtown condo.
“Good references, good credit check,” said Wong. “There were no red flags about this particular individual. He seemed to be a very mild-mannered, very responsible individual.”
But then his partner got a letter from her strata saying she was being fined for running an illegal short-term rental.
That’s when the couple learned the tenant never moved in. Instead, John listed the condo for $500 a night on Booking.com.
