Vent: Tried the 'couch surfing' thing in Portland and got scammed out of $50

I found this host on the app who had great reviews, so I paid the $50 verification fee they asked for upfront. Showed up at the address they gave, and it was just an abandoned building with a note taped to the door. The app support was useless, said they couldn't help because I paid outside the platform. Learned to never trust a host who asks for money before you meet them in person Has anyone else run into fake hosts on those budget stay sites?

2 comments

2 Comments

sean_murray7d ago

Laughing at myself because I once paid a "verified host" in Austin $40 through some sketchy link, showed up to their place, and it was just a dude named Dave who answered the door in his underwear and said "you got scammed, bud." I just stood there holding my duffel bag like an idiot while he closed the door. Now I treat any pre-payment request like I treat a "free boat" sign - run the other way.

julia2866d ago

Falling for that would make me feel like the guy paying $20 to see the "$50 bill glued to the sidewalk" trick.