For travellers who want a better deal on accommodation, Airbnb is a great option – but the cheap pricing can sometimes seem too good to be true.
A local man, Adam, recently booked an Airbnb unit for a one-night stay but was unfortunately scammed. He then took to Twitter to detail his experience and warn the public about the scammer hosts. According to Adam, he first came across a listing by the scammer, Kim Seng, for a unit at Lucentia Residence at Bukit Bintang City Centre, priced at RM60 per night.
After a successful booking, Adam went to the apartment and texted Kim Seng, or Kim Seng Ong, for the QR code needed to enter the unit. However, Kim Seng Ong then sent a WhatsApp message to Adam under the name Shawn Tan but also asked for an additional RM300 security deposit to an account under Angel Tan An Qie. While Adam had a gut feeling that something was wrong, he ignored it, paid the deposit and sent in an image of his identification card (IC) for validation.
Ten minutes after transferring the money, the scammer sent Adam a 1-second video of a clogged toilet with a voice note saying the unit had a drainage issue. The scammer then said the booking had to be cancelled but asked Adam to pay 15% of the booking so he could issue a refund. Adam only realised he was scammed when the building manager mentioned the unit number, saying there have been many cases of customers getting scammed from that exact unit.
Adam immediately lodged a police report against the scammer and did some sleuthing to find more information. He discovered that Kim Seng has multiple listings under his account, which Adam suspects are also scams as none have reviews. He also shared the details of the bank account owner, Angel Tan, who he thinks is the culprit’s name.
The thread garnered netizens’ attention, with many sharing the tweets to warn others of the scam. After the thread went viral, a man named Shawn Tan reached out to Adam, revealing that his identity was stolen by the scammer. He has since lodged a report on the scammer and even reached out to Airbnb for further action.
While the scammer did respond to Adam’s messages, he – or she – did not admit any wrongdoing and even cursed Adam for lodging a police report. So far, the Kim Seng account has been removed from the Airbnb site and Hong Leong Bank has reached out to Adam, saying that action will be taken against Angel Tan. Other comments also offered advice on how to avoid getting scammed when booking accommodations through websites.
While it’s unsure if Adam can get back the money he lost, his Twitter thread has brought more attention to the scammer and their listings, which could save others from getting scammed.
