Is Dit Veilig?Scam type
NLEN
Scam type 15/15

Holiday-rental scam: how a too-good-to-be-true holiday home costs you your entire travel budget

Fake Airbnbs, hacked hosts and off-platform payments: here's how to spot a fake holiday rental before you pay a deposit.

Stats and sources
Updated: May 2026

What the numbers show

No guesses. Only published data from Fraudehelpdesk (the Dutch fraud helpline), CBS (Statistics Netherlands), AFM, SIDN and Dutch investigative journalism.

The Fraudehelpdesk warns every year about rising holiday/rental fraud around May-July and the Christmas holidays.
In 2024 there was a clear rise in fraud where hosts were hacked and bookings were taken over via the Booking.com messaging system.
Losses per victim run up to €7,500 or more for a single season booking.
Source: https://www.security.nl/posting/392670/Nederlander+voor+7_500+euro+opgelicht+via+Airbnb-scam
Modus operandi

How does this scam actually work in practice?

Step by step: this is how scammers build the scenario. The faster you spot the pattern, the sooner you can hang up or click away.

  1. 01
    An ad on Facebook Marketplace, Marktplaats or a social-media group with photos copied from real Airbnb/Booking listings.
  2. 02
    Paying off-platform: "book through me and you get 20% off" or "Airbnb is down for maintenance, book directly via me".
  3. 03
    Domain names like airbnb-korting.nl, airbnb-direct.com, mooievakanties.nl that mimic the real logo.
  4. 04
    Hacked host accounts: a legitimate property, but messages with a modified payment link lead to a phishing site.
  5. 05
    Payment requests via SEPA transfer, Western Union, MoneyGram or crypto instead of the platform.
  6. 06
    Communication shifts quickly from the platform to email or WhatsApp.
Red flags

How do you spot this scam before it's too late?

One red flag is usually enough. Two and you know for sure something is off. Stop, hang up, click away, call the real organization via a number you look up yourself.

The host wants you to cancel the booking and pay outside Airbnb/Booking.
The price is dramatically lower than comparable listings.
No reviews or suspiciously uniform reviews.
Payment only via transfer to a personal name or a foreign IBAN.
The host applies pressure ("otherwise the booking is gone").
The URL in messages doesn't match airbnb.nl / booking.com.
What to do

What to do if you've been targeted

In this order. Time is money — literally. The faster you call, the bigger the chance the bank can still reverse a transaction.

  1. 1
    Always book and pay within the official platform; never use links from chat messages.
  2. 2
    Open a new browser window and log in via airbnb.nl or booking.com — not via email.
  3. 3
    Already transferred money? Call your bank for a SEPA Recall, call your credit-card company for a chargeback.
  4. 4
    File a police report at politie.nl and report to the Fraudehelpdesk.
  5. 5
    Report the property or host to Airbnb (airbnb.nl/help/contact) or Booking (booking.com/feedback).
  6. 6
    For large losses: bring in ConsuWijzer (consuwijzer.nl, Dutch consumer-rights advice service) or a lawyer.
Examples from our database

Concrete examples of this scam type

Click through on an example to see the full dossier: feed hits, host info, domain age, related cases.

domain reported
airbnb-korting.nl
View dossier →
domain reported
airbnb-direct.com
View dossier →
domain reported
booking-checkin.com
View dossier →
domain reported
mooievakanties.nl
/
View dossier →
domain reported
airbnb-betaling.com
Email from `host@`
View dossier →
example reported
WhatsApp from "host" with a foreign +44/+33 number
View dossier →
Common search queries

What people Google when they run into this scam

Recognize your own situation in one of these phrases? Paste your input into the checker above and you'll get an instant dossier — no account needed.

Related scam types

Often combined with these other scam types

Scammers increasingly combine multiple channels. A WhatsApp message is followed by a fake call; a phishing email by a Tikkie payment request.

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A buyer on Marktplaats (the Dutch eBay-style marketplace) asks you to transfer one cent to "verify" your account? That's not a Tikkie — it's a phishing site.
Read more →
Common questions

Common questions about this scam

What is holiday-rental scam?
An ad on Facebook Marketplace, Marktplaats or a social-media group with photos copied from real Airbnb/Booking listings. Paying off-platform: "book through me and you get 20% off" or "Airbnb is down for maintenance, book directly via me".
Is this Airbnb listing real?
The host wants you to cancel the booking and pay outside Airbnb/Booking. Always book and pay within the official platform; never use links from chat messages.
Host asks me to pay outside Airbnb?
The price is dramatically lower than comparable listings. Open a new browser window and log in via airbnb.nl or booking.com — not via email.
Booking.com email to a different account fraud?
No reviews or suspiciously uniform reviews. Already transferred money? Call your bank for a SEPA Recall, call your credit-card company for a chargeback.
What should I do if I've been a victim?
Always book and pay within the official platform; never use links from chat messages. Open a new browser window and log in via airbnb.nl or booking.com — not via email. Already transferred money? Call your bank for a SEPA Recall, call your credit-card company for a chargeback.
Will I get my money back?
Whether you get your money back depends on the type of scam, how quickly you called your bank and whether you handed over credentials yourself. Dutch banks operate a goodwill scheme but in practice rarely pay out 100%. Always file a police report immediately and report to the Fraudehelpdesk — this strengthens your case.
Need help right now?

Call these numbers now — in this order

In case of immediate danger or an ongoing transaction: hang up, call your bank, then file a police report. The faster, the bigger the chance the money can be recovered.

Emergency
112
Police / emergency services
Police report
0900-8844
Ask for a case-file number
Fraudehelpdesk
088-786 73 72
Report for trend tracking
ING emergency line
020-22 888 00
Block account & card
Rabobank emergency line
088-722 67 67
Block account & card
ABN AMRO emergency line
0900-0024
Block account & card
SNS emergency line
030-633 30 00
Block account & card
Slachtofferhulp (victim support)
0900-0101
Emotional & legal support
Fraudehelpdesk.nlPolitie.nl — report online fraudVeiliginternetten.nlConsumentenbond — safe browsing