In late 2024, a 21-year-old university student from Florida found herself trapped in one of the fastest-growing scams on the internet: fake Airbnb property listings. These scammers copy real listings, change a few photos, and then advertise them at unbelievably low prices on social media, WhatsApp, and Telegram.
She was desperate to secure an apartment for her internship program, and the scammers knew it.
What she didn’t know was that her case would become one of the clearest examples of how Cyanosoft.com’s digital investigation team could turn a hopeless situation into a complete victory.
How the Scam Worked — A Fully Cloned Airbnb Listing
The student searched Google for housing near Miami and came across a “special limited Airbnb offer” shared in a Telegram housing group. The listing included:
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professional photos
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a verified badge (fake)
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fake Airbnb customer reviews
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fake “Airbnb staff support” number
She contacted the host through WhatsApp and was told she needed to pay a security deposit and first-month rent upfront to secure the place. The scammer sent her a fake Airbnb payment page that looked 100% like the real one.
She paid $6,200 and within minutes:
The “host” disappeared.
The WhatsApp number was blocked.
The website link stopped working.
The group admin vanished.
She contacted Airbnb support, but they said the “reservation ID” didn’t exist.
She panicked — $6,200 was her entire savings.
How Cyanosoft.com Entered the Case
When she submitted her case to Cyanosoft, the team immediately initiated their fraud forensics workflow.
Step 1 — Analyzing the Fake Airbnb Website
Cyanosoft used:
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Google reverse image search to check the photos
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Bing search to track similar scam reports
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ChatGPT domain analysis to evaluate the website
They discovered:
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the website was only 13 days old
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the domain owner used a fake identity
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the server was hosted offshore
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the payment API was linked to 17 previous scam complaints
This clearly proved the listing was not connected to Airbnb in any way.
Step 2 — Payment Tracking & Dispute Filing
Most victims think they can’t recover money sent through:
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direct transfer
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online payment links
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card payments
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commercial wallet payments
But Cyanosoft specializes in forcing payment platforms to treat scam cases as criminal transactions, not voluntary mistakes.
The team prepared:
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a fraud affidavit
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transaction timeline
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screenshots of the fake Airbnb pages
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a technical report showing the site’s deceptive code
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proof of impersonation of a registered brand
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evidence of domain tampering
When this was submitted to the payment provider, they escalated the case.
Step 3 — Coordinating with Airbnb Legal Department
Cyanosoft contacted Airbnb’s legal and fraud team directly with:
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screenshots
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URLs
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metadata
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stolen listing ID
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brand impersonation evidence
Airbnb quickly confirmed the site was a cloned fraudulent version of one of their real listings.
This confirmation strengthened the chargeback claim dramatically.
Step 4 — The Recovery Outcome
After 24 days of investigation and pressure:
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$4,500 was returned in the first phase
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$1,100 was approved after a secondary appeal
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$600 was refunded manually by the payment platform after internal review
Total recovered: $6,200 — every dollar.
The student cried on the phone during the confirmation call.
She said:
“I never believed I would see this money again.”
What Cyanosoft Taught Her After the Recovery
Cyanosoft guided her on how to avoid future scams:
✔ Always verify rentals directly on Airbnb
✔ Don’t trust WhatsApp hosts
✔ Run Google searches on the property name
✔ Use Bing reverse-photo search to identify clone listings
✔ Ask ChatGPT to analyze links before paying
✔ Check domain creation date before entering your card
These small steps can prevent massive losses.
If You Lost Money to Any Fake Airbnb Host, Deposit Scam, or Rental Fraud
Cyanosoft has helped victims recover money from:
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Fake apartment owners
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Fake student hostels
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Fake holiday rentals
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Fake moving companies
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Fake rental agreement platforms
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Deposit scams on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
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WhatsApp rental groups
You are NOT alone — and you CAN get your money back.
Act Now — Start Your Recovery
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