An alleged scammer who is accused of using listings on Airbnb and other vacation rental sites to defraud would-be tenants has been indicted on federal charges.
Shray Goel faces charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to an indictment filed last month.
Goel, believed to be about 35 years old, and accomplices allegedly used “a variety of fake host accounts on Airbnb and Vrbo” to net about $7 million, according to Court Watch and 404 Media, which reported the indictment on Tuesday.
Between January 2018 and November 2019, Goel and others “would allegedly double book their rental properties, meaning that multiple parties were supposed to stay at them at the same time,” the report said.
“They would then trick customers into taking replacement bookings at inferior residences, and find ways to refuse refunds to guests who were entitled to them, the court record reads,” according to Court Watch and 404 Media. “In some cases, Goel and others listed properties that they were not affiliated with at all, or which did not exist.”
The alleged fraud involved properties in Los Angeles, Malibu and Marina del Rey, according to the indictment, as well as locations across the U.S.
“The scheme involved nearly 100 properties across much of the country, including California, Colorado, Illinois, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Texas, Tennessee, and Wisconsin,” the report said.
The alleged grift came to prominence in a 2019 Vice report after the author, Allie Conti, was victimized. In that report, a screenshot of Goel’s LinkedIn page showed he was based in Los Angeles.
A Twitter account that appears to belong to Goel was active as of Dec. 29, 2023, but has not responded to a request for comment by 404 Media.