An accused Airbnb fraudster based in Los Angeles has been indicted for allegedly double-booking nearly 100 properties across the US — as well as properties that didn’t exist — and then refusing guests refunds.
Shray Goel is charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to an indictment filed Thursday.
A fraudster who allegedly created a nationwide Airbnb scam in which he double-booked customers at nearly 100 rental properties across the country, raking in about $7 million, Court Watch and 404 Media reported.
Goel’s indictment alleges that between January 2018 and November 2019, he and others working under him would call tenants to inform them their properties were unavailable, often just minutes before they were set to check-in.
Goel will then offer to rebook the guest into the upgraded property for free — before placing the tenant in a “lower replacement”.
Prosecutors argued that Goel “profited from the scheme by conducting secret bidding wars to rent properties to the highest bidder.”
Shray Goel is charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. RightFramePhotoVideo – stock.adobe.com
Goel is also accused of refusing refunds to guests who were entitled to them, using pseudonyms and assuming false identities to list his properties. At times, he would also book guests at rental properties that did not exist, according to the indictment.
The alleged fraud primarily involved properties in Los Angeles, Malibu and Marina del Rey, as well as various locations across the US, including in Colorado, Illinois, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Texas, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
The fraudster also operated Vrbo, according to prosecutors, who said he earned $1.5 million on the platform before it was banned in 2015.
The scammer allegedly double-booked guests at nearly 100 rental properties across the US. ink drop – stock.adobe.com The alleged scammer would reportedly cancel guests’ reservations minutes before they were set to check-in. USDC Central District of California
A deputy investigation named Goel in alleged fraud in 2019, although a warrant for his arrest was only filed on Dec. 28, according to 404 Media.
Goel appeared to address the controversy on a since-deleted Twitter account, which had featured his name and a photo of Goel that Vice had previously used in an article about the scam.
“Yesterday was a very difficult day for me. Even though I can’t talk openly about the situation — I was heading to my condo, feeling sorry for myself,” Goel wrote in the now-deleted post.
“This bleak scene immediately put my own problems into perspective, reminding me of the deeper struggles others are going through,” her message added, before concluding, “stay strong.”
Airbnb told the outlet in a statement, “Airbnb is built on trust, and bad actors have no place in our community. We are supporting the US Attorney’s Office and the FBI throughout their investigation to help ensure accountability, and we thank them for their work.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
