Phishing Airbnb scams surge 30x as criminals hijack legitimate host accounts June 24, 2026 Share By SC Staff A man looks at the website of Airbnb in Katwijk, Netherlands. Cloudflare introduced an analytics platform similar to Google’s but which does not track visitors to websites. (Photo by Yuriko Nakao/Getty Images) As reported by Tech Radar, Airbnb scams have seen a dramatic 30-fold increase since the first half of 2023, with cybercriminals increasingly targeting vacationers, according to new research by Saily and NordStellar. This surge is attributed to a shift in tactics, where attackers are now exploiting the trust built into established platforms rather than creating their own fraudulent identities. Criminals are compromising legitimate Airbnb host accounts, which have accumulated years of positive reviews and high ratings, to conduct scams. Once an account is hijacked, attackers post fake property listings and charge unsuspecting victims for accommodations that do not exist. This method bypasses traditional phishing attacks, as all interactions remain within the Airbnb platform. The trend is exacerbated by the summer travel season, where the urgency to find deals and keep costs low makes travelers more vulnerable. Researchers also note that AI may be assisting criminals in creating more convincing fake listings. While Airbnb has implemented measures like identity verification and holding guest payments until after check-in, account takeovers can still occur. The company also reported preventing approximately 265,000 suspicious listings in 2025. To protect themselves, users are advised to keep communication within the platform, avoid external payment methods, be wary of unusually attractive listings, and consider reverse image searches for property verification. Source: Tech Radar SC Staff Related Phishing Amazon Prime Day fuels surge in malicious domains, researchers warn SC Staff June 22, 2026 Check Point Research has identified 6,843 new Amazon-themed domains registered between December and May, with nearly 10% flagged as malicious or suspicious. Phishing Malware campaign uses VirusTotal manipulation, legitimate news sites to gain reputation Laura French June 18, 2026 The clipboard hijacker campaign also uses “ghost networks” on social media to boost engagement. Phishing FBI warns of sophisticated Kali365 phishing service targeting Microsoft accounts SC Staff June 17, 2026 Coverage from Tech Radar indicates that a sophisticated phishing-as-a-service platform, known as Kali365, Octopi365, and Freedom365, is actively targeting Microsoft accounts. Get daily email updates SC Media's daily must-read of the most current and pressing daily news Business Email By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Subscribe You can skip this ad in 5 seconds