“We knocked on the door and it was someone’s private home,” says Cindy (@cgm_tiktok) in a series of viral TikToks about an Airbnb host that has apparently been scamming people in Toronto.
@cgm_tiktok There’s way more tea to this story guys #greenscreenvideo ♬ original sound – Cindy
Cindy says she booked a listing offering an “Elite 2-Storey Private Loft” in downtown Toronto for Dec. 4, but when she arrived, it was not the same listing, and claims she couldn’t access the property. She adds that this has apparently been an “ongoing issue” for the actual owner, which Airbnb hasn’t resolved.
@cgm_tiktok Pt 3 – AirBNB scam in Toronto. Customer support was not helpful! I provided screenshots and all the information I had via email but this “Host” fabricated text messages between us saying I admit to checking in but was lying to AirBNB for a refund!?
♬ original sound – Cindy
Cindy says she had a similar problem getting any resolution with Airbnb. She included the messages she sent to Airbnb Support, showing that after a day, they declined to give her a refund. It was also insinuated that she lied about not being able to access the Airbnb. In another TikTok, she says she was given the wrong address. Cindy shared surveillance footage from her salon, where her guests had to gather after the Airbnb was inaccessible.
@cgm_tiktok Yup. They’re claiming I broke a $1500 window to an AirBNB I had no access to. #greenscreenvideo ♬ original sound – Cindy
Things then escalated; she showed a message from Airbnb claiming she now owes $1,500 for a broken window, even though she could not access the right property. Then, one of her TikToks about the scam was removed by the platform for sharing “personally identifiable information.” We reached out to Cindy for comment via email.
@cgm_tiktok Im tired and so over this now. I even gave them photos from the party and asked Airbnb to verify if the host provided photos of me that match. They still said it cant be considered as valid documentation. So yeah, hard lesson learned. Fuck airbnb
♬ original sound – Cindy
Others on TikTok have posted similar stories about Saige Rentals, which allegedly lists the property. In May, @katherineebabyyy said she booked the property two months in advance, only to have the host, “Kelly,” flake out multiple times.
@katherineebabyyy someone please help me fond somewhere to host my birthday party next weekend for like less than $400 😭😭😭 im desperate #greenscreen #fyp #airbnb #saigerentals #fuckedup
♬ original sound – Katherine 🌹
Another TikToker, @_insearchoft, claimed in June that they received a similar bogus property damage report. In that situation, the host also asked for more than $1,000 but used photos of damages that were allegedly identical to those sent to another renter. She also claims the host stole guests’ items from the unit.
Reached for comment on Cindy’s videos, and others, an Airbnb spokesperson told the Daily Dot: “We take reports like this very seriously, we have removed the host from the platform.”
@_insearchoft they rly trying huh #toronto #airbnbscam #saigerentals #greenscreenvideo #greenscreen
♬ Kinda awkward – ionics
@_insearchoft so much interesting info coming forward! pt 2 of this in the next videooooo #greenscreen #toronto #saigerentals #airbnbscam
♬ Kinda awkward – ionics
We reached out to Saige Rentals for comment via email. They do have a TikTok account, but there are no videos and the bio reads “WE DONT NEED FOLLOWERS WE DONT DO TIK TOK.” A July post on the subreddit r/TorontoRenting warns people not to book Saige Rentals for events after the poster was allegedly scammed out of $400. The majority of comments on its recent Instagram posts call out Saige Rentals as a scam as well.
