Fake listings that copy your property: how to spot and report them (2026)

Updated: 10 November 2026

A traveller turns up at your reception with a booking you never received, paid by bank transfer to a stranger. That is the fake listing scam: someone copies the photos and name of a real property, advertises it for less and takes payment outside the platform. This guide sums up what we could check on 10 November 2026 at INCIBE, in the help pages of Booking.com, Airbnb and Google and in police warnings reported by the press, and flags what we could not confirm.

The short answer

The essentials:

Search for your own photos with Google Lens from time to time: Google says results can include websites that have the same image or a similar one.
If you find a fake listing, save the full URL and screenshots before reporting it: that is exactly what Booking.com asks for in its form.
Report the listing to the platform (Booking.com, Airbnb) and, if there are victims, to the police, with all the evidence.
State on your website which are your only booking and payment channels. Our tip.
The scale is real: in Portugal the GNR recorded 436 holiday rental fraud cases between 2023 and June 2025 (Observador/Lusa, 25 July 2025).

How the scam works

What the authorities describe:

Spain's Policía Nacional (as reported by Moncloa.com, press, 7 August 2026): stolen photos, prices far below market, pressure to pay outside the platform by transfer or Bizum; on arrival, the property does not exist or its real owners know nothing about the ad.
INCIBE (3 July 2019): badly written or machine-translated texts and an advertiser who wants to keep talking outside the platform. If they propose a payment method other than the platform's, be suspicious.
Italy's Polizia Postale (as reported by gonews.it, 12 July 2024): the advertiser takes the deal off the platform and asks for a prepaid card top-up; a foreign IBAN for a property in Italy is a warning sign.
Portugal's GNR (Observador, 25 July 2025): recommends checking whether the same photos appear in other listings.

How to spot listings that copy your property

Practical tips:

Google Lens: on google.com click the Search by image icon and upload your main photo, or in Chrome right-click the image and choose Search with Google Lens.
Repeat the search with 3 or 4 different photos (façade, pool, room), especially before high season. Our tip.
Search your property's name in quotes on Google and on rental platforms, and check whether it appears with another phone number or price. Our tip.
Ask your front-desk team to tell you if a guest mentions a booking that is not in your system. Our tip.

How to report the listing on each platform

According to the official help:

Booking.com: its content reporting form covers misleading or fraudulent listings and ownership disputes. Provide the full URL (no shortened links), screenshots, the exact listing name and any other evidence. You get an email confirming receipt and then the outcome.
Airbnb: open the listing and, under the price, select Report this listing; reasons include a listing that is not a real place to stay and scams or phishing.
Facebook Marketplace: Facebook has a help page on reporting a seller, but we could not read it: steps not confirmed.
Google: we did not review how to report an ad or a fake Maps listing: not confirmed.

How to report to the police, by country

What we could check:

Spain: the Policía Nacional asks victims to go to a police station with screenshots of the ad, conversations and payment receipts (Moncloa.com, 7 August 2026). INCIBE advises reporting to the platform, gathering evidence and reporting to the authorities. We did not review the Guardia Civil's advice.
Portugal: Airbnb, the PSP and the CNCS ask people to keep evidence and report to the PSP straight away; the CNCS accepts incident reports through the form at cncs.gov.pt.
Italy: the Polizia Postale advises booking, paying and communicating only on official platforms (gonews.it, 12 July 2024). We did not review its online reporting channel: not confirmed.
Greece: in 2018 the Hellenic Police Cybercrime Division took reports on 11188, anonymously or by name (Parapolitika, 16 July 2018). We have not confirmed they are unchanged.

State your only booking and payment channels on your website

Our tip, based on what the authorities ask:

A clear sentence on the homepage and booking page: “We only accept bookings on this website, by phone on number X and on [platforms]. We never ask for payment by top-up, gift card or transfer to a private account.”
Show your exact company name and tourism registration number so travellers can check them.
Keep the same details on your Google profile, the platforms and iQuota: the more consistent they are, the easier it is for a traveller to see which listing is real.

If you run a property: what travellers ask AI

Common questions, no guarantees:

“Is this apartment real or a scam?”, “What is this hotel's official website?”, “How do I pay safely?”.
An AI assistant can only rely on what it finds published: having your official channels written clearly and consistently helps the answer be correct, but nobody can guarantee what an AI will reply.

How iQuota helps

iQuota makes independent properties available to AI assistants with direct booking, payment at the property and 0% commission, with the price and terms each property sets. Because payment happens at the property, the traveller does not transfer money to a third party. We cannot guarantee that an AI assistant will recommend you.

Want AI to give your real details, with direct booking and no commission? The first 30 hotels join free until 30 June 2027.

See the Founding Hotels programme

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if someone is using my photos?

Search for them with Google Lens: Google says results can include websites with the same or a similar image. Repeat it with several photos.

What do I need to report on Booking.com?

The full listing URL, screenshots, the exact listing name and any other evidence. Booking.com confirms receipt by email and then sends the outcome.

Do I have to go to the police if I lost no money?

We could not confirm an obligation. Spain's Policía Nacional asks victims to report with all the evidence; if a guest of yours paid a scammer, encourage them to report it and share your screenshots.

Is it a common problem?

In Portugal the GNR recorded 436 cases between 2023 and June 2025, and the PSP 3,801 over the same period, according to Observador/Lusa (25 July 2025).

What should I put on my website?

Your only booking and payment channels, your company name and registration number, and that you never ask for untraceable payments. Our tip.

Sources

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