AS short-term rental scams become more sophisticated, real estate expert Roger Allen is warning that fraudsters are misusing booking platforms like Airbnb in many ways, including renting homes then illegally listing them online without the property owners’ consent, and using fake listings to swindle unsuspecting customers.

The second vice-president of the Realtors Association of Jamaica (RAJ) said the extent of booking platforms-related fraud became apparent during a meeting with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) last year, during which he and other members of the RAJ were briefed on numerous scams involving short-term rental properties.

“There are persons thinking that they have more or less rented a property or leased an Airbnb and, in terms of the payments, some of them are being urged to go outside of the platform to make payment and that sort of thing,” Allen told the Jamaica Observer.