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A person who is suspected of scamming Airbnb users and obtaining approximately $7 million through deception is being charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to a warrant for Mr. Goel’s arrest obtained by The Independent, Shray Goel and his colleagues reportedly utilized various aliases to overbook properties and deny refunds to customers from January 2018 to November 2019.
The fraudulent operation spanned approximately 100 properties in various states throughout the US and resulted in over 10,000 bookings on Airbnb, supposedly generating $7 million in profits.
Prosecutors allege that Mr. Goel engaged in a deceptive practice of double-booking properties, which he and his associates would then cancel on guests at the last minute or persuade them to switch to lesser accommodations using false excuses.
Supposedly, Mr. Goel would select from a pool of customers and frequently award it to the one who bid the highest. He would also reject any requests for refunds from guests who were eligible for them.
The prosecution further reveals that Goel attempted to conceal unfavorable reviews by removing and reposting the properties, and also fabricated positive reviews.
He allegedly used deceptive identities, property addresses, and availability in his scheme.
The individual is also alleged to have provided false information to rental platforms, claiming that the guest had utilized the property. This typically results in the guest being ineligible for a complete refund, according to Airbnb’s policies.
Vice conducted an investigation on Mr. Goel in 2019 in an effort to expose a potential scam. One of the writers became suspicious when they received information that the property was flooded and would be relocated.
The author of the investigation, Allie Conti, stated that she had communicated with individuals known as “Becky and Andrew” and received a partial refund of $399 out of the total amount of $1,221 that she had paid.
Following the widespread circulation of the Vice report, Ms. Conti was approached by the FBI and Airbnb made a promise to review all of their rental listings within a week of the report being released.
According to Fox News, Mr. Goel was arrested and then released on bond after a warrant for his arrest was filed on December 28.
The prosecution is charging him with intentionally deceiving and defrauding both the rental platforms and the guests attempting to book the properties.
On December 30th, Vice magazine reported that Mr. Goel had previously shared a message on the platform X which has since been deleted. In the message, he mentioned that the previous day had been particularly challenging for him and although he couldn’t divulge the details, he had been feeling down while heading to his condo.
Airbnb stated to The Daily Beast that their business is founded on trust, and individuals who behave inappropriately are not welcome in our community. We cooperated with the US Attorney’s Office and the FBI during their inquiry to promote responsibility, and we appreciate their efforts.
The Independent attempted to reach out to Mr. Goel via his website, but the message could not be delivered.
The Independent has reached out to Airbnb for a statement.
Source: independent.co.uk
