The public is being warned over a new scam after an Airbnb host used AI-edited photos to claim £12,000 from a guest for property damage.
The woman had booked a one-bedroom flat in New York earlier this year for two and a half months while she studied in the Big Apple.
But the London-based academic left early due to feeling unsafe in the area.
But soon after, the host filed a claim accusing her of causing over £12,000 worth of damage, including urinating on a mattress and damaging a coffee table, sofa, microwave, TV, robot vacuum, and air conditioning unit.
The woman denied the claims and insisted she had left the flat in good condition, adding she only had two visitors during her seven-week stay.
She believes the host retaliated because she ended her stay early.
When the host submitted photos to Airbnb showing a cracked wooden coffee table, the guest pointed out inconsistencies in the damage between the images, suggesting they were either digitally altered or AI-generated.
When the host submitted photos to Airbnb showing a cracked wooden coffee table
The guest pointed out inconsistencies in the damage between the images, suggesting they were either digitally altered or AI-generated
It has brought to light how new AI software, which is cheap and easily availabl,e can be used to manipulate images to give false evidence of what has happened in consumer complaints
She told the Guardian: ‘This should have immediately raised red flags and discredited the host’s claims if the evidence had been reviewed with even basic scrutiny, but Airbnb not only failed to identify this obvious manipulation, they entirely ignored my explanations and clear evidence that the material was fabricated.’
Initially, Airbnb sided with the host, telling her she owed £5,314.
She appealed, offering to provide an eyewitness statement from a friend who was present at checkout, and flagged the visual discrepancies in the images.
After her story was brought to life, the platform refunded her £500, but when she threatened she wouldn’t rebook with them again.
When she then said she was not going to rebook with Airbnb again, the company offered an £854 refund, a fifth of the cost of her booking.
She refused and was eventually reimbursed the full amount of £4,269. A negative review left by the host was also removed from her profile.
The complainant is listed as a ‘superhost’ on Airbnb, which according to the site, is experienced and highly rated.
He did not respond to a request by the newspaper.
Airbnb said he had been warned for violating its terms and told he would be removed if there were another similar report.
It apologised and said there would be a review into how her case was handled.
Security expert Serpil Hall, director of economic crime at management consultancy Baringa, warned that manipulating images and videos is now ‘easier than ever’.
She added: ‘There’s a growing need for forensic tools and fraud intelligence models to verify visual evidence in disputes.’
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