"Real Estate 'Visionary' Among Two Charged in Multistate $8.5M Airbnb and Vrbo Scam"

Shray Goel and Shaunik Raheja have been indicted on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy after allegedly scamming over $8.5 million from Airbnb and Vrbo through a "double-booking, bait-and-switch scam" involving over 10,000 reservations across 10 states. The scheme involved creating fake listings, canceling on guests last minute, and rerouting them to inferior accommodations, sometimes based on racial discrimination. Goel faces additional charges of aggravated identity theft. Both Airbnb and Vrbo were defrauded in the process, with the companies and numerous customers falling victim to the scam.