Rental scams: How a con artist may have exploited Airbnb’s ID checks [Video]

This is part two of a W5 investigation into how a convicted con artist bilked dozens of people in a landlord scam, digital loopholes that may make the scam easier to pull off, and how the justice system that may be letting fraudsters off the hook to the tune of of millions of dollars across the country when it comes to repaying their victims.

Hosts on a major short-term rental platform may be kept in the dark about their guests’ true identity – a situation that a prolific Canadian con artist appears to have taken advantage of to fleece even more people in a multi-year crime spree, a W5 investigation has discovered.

Records and receipts appear to show how convicted fraudster Colleen Hull was able to dupe Airbnb and the owner of a Toronto-area property to get access to the home, pose as a landlord to take deposits of tenants, …