Airbnb bolsters security as reports of burglaries emerge

Airbnb says it is upping security measures after an investigation found that hosts’ homes had been burgled by scammers using stolen accounts. The scammers had hijacked accounts with verified badges and changed some of the personal detail to pull of … Continue reading →

Airbnb says it is upping security measures after an investigation found that hosts’ homes had been burgled by scammers using stolen accounts.

The scammers had hijacked accounts with verified badges and changed some of the personal detail to pull of the thefts.

When the BBC investigation was brought to the rental accommodation provider , it said it had already been working on the changes to security on its app and website. It will now sent text warnings if profiles are altered.

The broadcaster spoke to three people who had fallen victim to the scam.

Airbnb’s co-founder, Nate Blecharczyk, said: “Unfortunately there have been some incidents where hosts and guests have suffered,” said Nate Blecharczyk, co-founder of Airbnb.

“This is not acceptable to us, therefore we’re working around the clock to do everything we can to improve our detection and prevention methods.”