How to Create an Airbnb Account Without a Phone Number

June 10, 2022

How to start your Airbnb without using your phone number (non infographic)

How to Create an Airbnb Account

In today’s modern world, having an Airbnb is a must if you are looking to travel without paying for expensive hotels, want an immersive vacation that’s more in touch with the destination, or if you just want to rent out your place. Fortunately, building an Airbnb account is remarkably simple; plug-in Airbnb into your search engine or click on Airbnb.com and just hit sign up. Once you click on sign up, it will have you create an account, then all you have to do is follow the website’s prompts and plug in your information. That is, if you are comfortable sharing your personal information.

Why do I Need an Airbnb Phone Verification Code?

Airbnb wants to maintain a high level of authenticity with both its renters and its hosts. The SMS verification allows Airbnb a higher certainty that you are a legitimate user looking to use their services. Without this level of assurance, Airbnb leaves its travelers and landlords vulnerable to more frequent and dangerous scams.

How Safe is Airbnb Phone Verification?

When looking at personal safety, sharing your phone number can be risky. First of all, data breaches are on the rise affecting massive companies like Facebook, Yahoo, and LinkedIn. The previously mentioned companies are monumental tech giants with access to the highest security and cutting-edge modern tech. Essentially data breaches can happen to any company, and personal information like your phone number can be at risk. Secondly, scammers can access your phone number by posing as customers looking to purchase your accommodations or as landlords that you rent from. 

Airbnb’s security flaws leave guests and hosts alike vulnerable to fraud.

  • HTTP Only cookies are not utilized, meaning that any of Airbnb’s clients can have their cookies accessed. The lack of utilization leaves you and other Airbnb clients’ personal data vulnerable to attacks.
  • Secure cookies are not utilized, so hackers can intercept and use them to acquire your information.
  • DNSSEC is not enabled, so records are easier for hackers and scammers to forge, certifying a false domain’s identity. DNSSEC allows for incoming data’s origin to be verified and verifies that the incoming data hasn’t been doctored. DNSSEC enables shut down loopholes that hackers can use to con users.

Aside from data breaches, your personal information is at risk of being abused by other users. There are countless tales of stalking where Airbnb users access the personal information of other users to follow and harass them. You can stay safe by limiting what personal information you are sharing by using Tardigrada.io to avoid your phone number falling into scammers’ hands.

Common Airbnb Scams

Airbnb is free to use, easy to sign up for, and the best way to rent out your place in a short-term format. Using Airbnb to find accommodation gives you access to one of the leading vacation rental platforms with the most diverse options. These options come with benefits like setting the price for your property and renting not just housing; but castles, boats, and other unusual accommodations. Yet all of these fantastic benefits come with the following common Airbnb scams.

“Bait and Switch” Scams

In “Bait and Switch” scams, crooks offer desirable housing in an enticing area. Yet when you arrive, you find the accommodations you booked were falsely advertised, the place is in disrepair, it’s much smaller than it appeared, or people are sharing a space that you thought would be private. Scammers will also post a great listing before convincing you to switch to a worse option at the same price. They do this through various excuses such as the plumbing broke, a previous guest trashed the place, and the place was accidentally booked to another customer. These common fibs prompt you to accept different accommodations that are nothing like the original whilst still paying a premium. Remember to not accept any alternatives, vet the hosts properly, and remember the host is responsible for canceling if the original space isn’t available.

Outside Payment Platforms Scam

Payment scams occur when people renting out accommodations on Airbnb convince the customer to pay outside of Airbnb; whether it be through PayPal, Venmo, or wire transfer. To lure unsuspecting customers, crooks will often offer a better deal if you pay through a third party source, allowing them to skirt any protection or refunds Airbnb would force them to pay. People who fall prey to this scam will often be put up in awful conditions and cannot seek compensation if they try to cancel or report the seller. Remember, only pay through Airbnb, and any deal offered through other means of payment will most likely be a scam.

Damage Charges

Scammers can charge you for damages if you’ve previously stayed with them, leaving you to foot the bill for fabricated damages or damages you aren’t responsible for. To combat this, always take pictures of the place with timestamps when you arrive and take additional pictures with timestamps right before you leave. This will allow you to correctly record any pre-existing issues with your vacation rental and prove that you didn’t actually cause any additional damages to the property.

Airbnb is one of the top performing platforms when it comes to  renting out your home or for seeking accommodations, yet like everything it also comes with some risks such as crooks posing as reputable users. Keep in mind that scam artists and swindlers alike can access your personal information, and crooks will use anything to weasel money from you.

Five Steps to Bypass Airbnb Phone Verification

There are many reasons for wanting to bypass Airbnb’s phone verification. If you don’t have a phone number, you want to use a virtual U.S. phone number or you worry about your personal information being out in the open, Tardigrada is here to help. It’s virtually effortless to get past Airbnb’s phone verification by renting a unique temporary phone number with our services. Just follow the steps below:

  1. Create a Tardigrada.io account.
  2. Purchase the necessary credits to rent your new phone number.
  3. Select the services tab, scroll through the list of platforms and click on Airbnb.
  4. Rent a unique temporary phone number tied to real U.S.-based sim card and input the number into the Airbnb account.
  5. Get the SMS verification code on your rented number and input it on Airbnb’s site to start using the platform.

How to Edit your Phone Number on Airbnb

Changing your Airbnb phone number is even easier than creating an account. You want to start by opening your profile, selecting the “Personal info tab,” then hitting the phone number from the new menu. Finally, hit edit, and you are all set and can start editing/changing your phone number. When you hit close, everything will save, and you are done!

Whether you’re looking to rent out your place or looking for a place to rent, Tardigrada has got you covered. Easily bypass Airbnb’s phone verification and dodge common Airbnb scams by renting a virtual U.S. phone number. Your OTP verification code will be received quickly, and you can have peace of mind that your personal number will never fall into scammers’ hands. Sign up for Tardigrada today for the most simplistic solution to all your SMS verification troubles. Why throw your personal information on the internet when you don’t have to. Sign up today and use one of our phone numbers to keep your online information safe.