Short answer: book short-lets in Accra through a platform that holds your payment (such as Airbnb or Booking.com) and never move the conversation or payment to WhatsApp, MoMo or a direct bank transfer. Most short-let scams use real photos of real apartments and ask for a "deposit" outside the platform.
December is peak season: prices rise, apartments sell out and scammers know visitors are in a hurry.
How short-let scams work
- Copied listings. Photos taken from a real Airbnb are posted on Instagram, Facebook or Jiji at a lower price.
- "Pay outside Airbnb for a discount." The host asks you to pay by MoMo, Wise or bank transfer. If anything goes wrong, the platform cannot help you.
- Deposit to "hold" the apartment, then the "agent" stops replying.
- Double booking. The same apartment is "rented" to several visitors for the same dates.
- Fake booking confirmation emails with a link to pay.
How to book safely
- Book and pay only inside the platform. Read recent reviews with photos.
- Reverse-search the photos with Google Lens. If they appear on another listing, walk away.
- For direct bookings, ask for a live video call inside the apartment, showing today's date.
- Ask a trusted person in Accra to visit before you pay.
- Search the host or agency on TrustCheck and check their phone number.
- Get the full address and check it on Google Maps.
Long-term rental? Read rent scams and fake landlords. Coming for December events? See Detty December ticket scams.
Comments
Comments are reviewed before they appear publicly.
No comments yet. Be the first to leave one.