Two Men Indicted for $8.5 Million Rental Scam on Airbnb and Vrbo

The alleged fraud, involving over 10,000 reservations across 10 states, included racially discriminatory practices and affected nearly 100 properties.

Shray Goel, 35, and Shaunik Raheja, 34, have been indicted for an alleged short-term rental scam that netted over $8.5 million, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
The pair allegedly manipulated listings on popular platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, using tactics that included double-booking and bait-and-switch scams, and even involved racially discriminatory practices against Black individuals.
The alleged fraud affected nearly 100 properties across 10 states and involved more than 10,000 reservations.
Goel and Raheja operated a rental business under various names, including Abbot Pacific LLC, and used this enterprise to defraud both the rental platforms and their users.
Both men are expected to be arraigned in the United States District Court in Los Angeles soon.

U.S. Department of Justice

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