Khushi Rungta exposed a recruitment scam falsely using Airbnb’s name. Students were tricked into posting fake property listings under the promise of jobs that never existed. Airbnb’s silence raises safety concerns.
Complaint Overview
A disturbing recruitment scam has come to light involving the name of Airbnb, where young students, many from rural and underprivileged backgrounds, were offered fake job roles as “Customer Support Associates” with a salary of ₹35,000/month. But instead of onboarding or training, they were allegedly manipulated into uploading fake property listings to the Airbnb platform only to be ghosted afterward.
The issue was publicly raised by Khushi Rungta, a verified LinkedIn user and CS Finalist, who posted screenshots and alleged phone numbers involved in the scam.
Complaint Summary Table
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Complainant Name | Khushi Rungta |
| Platform Implicated | Airbnb |
| Alleged Scam Type | Fake Job Offer + Recruitment Fraud |
| Role Offered | Customer Support Associate |
| Promised Salary | ₹35,000/month |
| Recruitment Medium | Google Meet (No official Airbnb email or documentation) |
| Main Exploitation | Students made to upload fake listings pretending to be Airbnb employees |
| Impact | Emotional manipulation, fake listings on Airbnb, no job, no salary |
| Original Post Date | ~July 2, 2025 (1 month ago) |
How the Scam Worked
🎯 Step by Step Breakdown of the Scam
- Initial Contact: Students were contacted through informal channels (likely LinkedIn, WhatsApp, or Telegram).
- Google Meet Interview: A recruiter impersonating Airbnb HR conducted an online meeting.
- No Verification: No offer letter, no official email ID, and no onboarding process.
- The Real Task: Students were instructed to post fake Airbnb property listings, often for places they’d never visited or even heard of.
- No Payment, No Communication: Once the work was done, communication was cut off no salary, no response.
- Lasting Harm: The fake listings remained live, potentially misleading real travelers.
What Makes This Dangerous?
- Exploitation of Youth: Many victims came from rural backgrounds, some even from farmer families, seeking their first jobs.
- Emotional Manipulation: Recruiters played on the hopes and insecurities of young aspirants.
- Platform Negligence: If fake listings still exist on Airbnb, it raises serious concerns about their verification processes.
- Consumer Safety Threatened: Unsuspecting travelers might book fake listings, risking their money and security.
Author Details
| Name | Khushi Rungta |
|---|---|
| Profession | CS Finalist |
| LinkedIn Status | Verified |
| Date of Post | ~July 2, 2025 |
| Type of Post | Public Awareness Complaint |
| Main Concern | Fake recruitment in Airbnb’s name leading to student exploitation and fake listings |
🔗 Checkout the Original LinkedIn Post:
View Post by Khushi Rungta
About Airbnb
Airbnb is a global online marketplace connecting travelers with hosts offering short-term lodging. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in San Francisco, Airbnb operates in over 190 countries. However, it has often been under scrutiny for weak property verification, fake listings, and support system failures in both traveler and host experiences.
While Airbnb claims to have multiple layers of identity and property verification, incidents like this raise serious doubts about the robustness of its onboarding system both for properties and its partners.
Key Questions Raised by the Complaint
- ❓ How easy is it to create fake listings on Airbnb?
- ❓ What systems are in place to detect recruiter impersonation?
- ❓ Why has Airbnb remained silent on scams involving its platform?
- ❓ Can travelers trust Airbnb listings if verification is this lax?
What Victims Can Do
If you or someone you know has faced a similar issue:
- 📞 Report directly to Airbnb’s official support via https://www.airbnb.com/help
- 📧 Forward all details to Airbnb Trust & Safety team
- 📸 Preserve all screenshots, emails, or chat records
- 🚨 File a cybercrime complaint at https://cybercrime.gov.in
- 🗣 Submit your story on Choice4Voice.com to create public pressure
Final Thoughts
Khushi Rungta’s LinkedIn post isn’t just a warning for students, it’s a wake-up call for platforms like Airbnb to clean up how their name is used and misused. When job aspirants are being tricked and fake listings are going live unchecked, both digital job safety and consumer travel safety are at risk.
📢 Were you or someone you know targeted by a similar scam? Share your experience on Choice4Voice.com your voice can protect others.
