Scam Goddess – Fraud Friday: The Airbnb Bamboozler w/ Lamar Woods

Date: December 19, 2025
Host: Laci Mosley
Guest: Lamar Woods

Overview

This episode of Scam Goddess dives into the world of rental fraud, specifically focusing on the notorious "Airbnb Bamboozler" scam. Comedian, writer, and frequent scam victim Lamar Woods joins Laci Mosley to swap personal scam stories, unpack viral wedding con drama, and break down a large-scale Airbnb fraud that scammed travelers out of thousands using fake listings, intimidation, and deceptive reviews. The tone is hilarious, candid, and unflinchingly honest, with both hosts riffing on their own scam run-ins, frustrations with peer-to-peer rental culture, and the pitfalls of trusting strangers online.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Lamar's Personal Scam Experience

(03:07–10:00)

• Lamar's Mark Energy: Lamar admits to being “a mark” and describes himself as “too trusting,” sharing stories of falling prey to pyramid schemes and suspicious "credit card company" house meetings in his youth.

  • Quote: “I'm probably the person who's the most... definitely, like, the victim.” —Lamar (06:31)
  • Laci notes he may be the show’s first true scam victim, surrounded by actual scammers in her fanbase.

• Craigslist “Jobs”: Lamar recounts moving to L.A. and finding sketchy demo-product jobs through ads labeled as “marketing.”

  • “You get to the house and… whose house is this?” —Laci (08:44)
  • Demonstrating car wax to strangers at gas stations as a supposed marketing gig.

• Susceptibility Admission: Laci warns Lamar that “a lot of scammers” listen to Scam Goddess and offers to be his scam-check hotline.

2. Hot and Fraud: The Viral Wedding Crowdfund Scam

(10:00–24:00)

• Fabricated Viral Scams: Laci exposes how viral posts (especially wedding cancellation stories with dubious fund requests) are often fabricated for site traffic and clicks.

  • “Sometimes people will make up viral content... just to drive traffic.” —Laci (10:15)

• The $30,000 Wedding Fund Scheme: They dissect a viral post where a bride cancels her wedding but keeps $30K in donations for a “honeymoon,” requesting more gifts and hinting at further money needs as emotional manipulation and possible fraud.

  • Quote: “You have the motherfucking Christ on a bike's audacity to request more gifts.” —Laci acting as an outraged donor (19:06)

• Crowdfund Ethics: They riff on how GoFundMe has made it easier (and sometimes too easy) to ask for cash, and how the emotional hooks of weddings ("I was supposed to come get a meal, get drunk, find a new love interest…") make people feel doubly cheated when scammed.

• Lamar admits to forgetting to contribute to a friend's honeymoon fund, roasted by Laci for spending on car upgrades instead.

3. Historic Hoodwinks: The Airbnb Bamboozler

(24:00–65:35)

a. Airbnb Horror Stories (24:59–41:55)

• Personal Nightmares: Lamar and Laci share rough Airbnb stays (Brooklyn apartments with rats and hairless cats, misleading listings, and intrusive hosts).

  • “You got scammed to watch this woman’s cat!” —Laci (27:27)
  • “No one wants a roommate on Airbnb.” —Laci (27:41)

• Bait and Switch Tactics: Many hosts falsely advertise properties, then, last minute, claim “plumbing problems” and shunt guests to a different, often dilapidated, location.

  • “It’s called a bait and switch in the scam game.” —Laci (28:06)
  • “What is the one thing that, if broken, you cannot stay there? Plumbing.” —Laci (29:11)

b. Nationwide Web of Airbnb Deception (32:12–56:08)

• The Vice Exposé: Laci recounts a Vice journalist’s investigation into dozens of near-identical scam listings in 8 cities, run by a network using fake photos, staged reviews, and rotating guests through a single decaying “flop house.”

• Host Pressure and Review Intimidation:

  • After the scam, the hosts push for 5-star reviews and threaten poor reviews if guests complain—mirroring Laci’s own experiences as an intimidated Airbnb guest.
  • Quote: “Now they're like, hey, we know we didn't let you stay in the place that we told you… but go in and get that five stars.” —Laci (45:30)
  • Both discuss the performativity of peer review systems and how platforms like Airbnb and Uber foster mutual dishonesty.

• Fake Guest Profiles & Reviews: The scam network employed hosts with obviously fake names (notably “Becky”), cribbed photos from travel sites, and wrote reviews for each other’s properties to boost legitimacy.

  • “Every Matthew is a scam. Every Becky is also a scam.” —Laci (52:11)
  • Listings shared suspiciously identical “walk the city” style descriptions and even the same stock furniture/art in photos.

• Refusal to Refund and Corporate Accountability:

  • Even after being shunted to a flop house and kicked out early, Airbnb offered a refund of only a fraction of the original cost. Victims were repeatedly stonewalled and redirected.
  • “Airbnb is just a fucking middleman.” —Laci (54:08)
  • The company’s reluctance to intervene, even after the FBI gets involved, is critiqued.

• Practical Advice:

  • Laci and Lamar ultimately agree: “Is it better to just go to a hotel?” (56:35)
  • The answer is yes—hotels offer more security, reliability, and consistent cleanliness.

c. Personal Experiences on Airbnb and Racism (46:40–51:04)

• Laci shares how, as a Black woman, she’s had to use white friend’s photos or aliases to book Airbnbs due to pervasive discrimination.
• Jokes about “Paul F. Tompkins” acting as a white “booking decoy.”

d. Investigation Aftermath and Ongoing Scams (60:38–65:11)

• Journalist pursues the scam’s “Abbott Pacific” LLC, is brushed off, and upon dogged follow-up, finds the scam website taken down as the network scrambles to erase its tracks.
• “Who has ever written down a website? He's like, no, I got a pad and pen—okay, what's the website? W-w-w…” —Laci (62:36)
• As of taping, the FBI is investigating; the story is still developing.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On being an “easy mark”:
  “I'm probably the person who's the most... definitely, like, the victim.” —Lamar Woods, (06:31)
• On wedding scams:
  “You have the motherfucking Christ on a bike's audacity to request more gifts.” —Laci Mosley, reading donor rage (19:06)
• On Airbnb scam logic:
  “It's called a bait and switch in the scam game.” —Laci (28:06)
• On trick reviews:
  “Every Matthew is a scam. Every Becky is also a scam.” —Laci (52:11)
• On the gig economy’s risk:
  “Airbnb is just a fucking middleman… They put all the scammers in one place for you. May the buyer beware.” —Laci (54:08, 33:07)
• On scammer excuses:
  “I'm at my employment” —both riffing on the scammer’s evasive standard reply. (44:12)
• On Airbnb racism workaround:
  “I’ll have the white person book the Airbnb. Or I’ll change my profile photo to a white woman.” —Laci (50:13)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Personal Scam Stories & Vulnerability: 03:07–10:00
• Viral Wedding GoFundMe Scam Dissection: 10:00–24:00
• Airbnb Bamboozler Introduction: 24:59–28:06
• Lamar’s Real-Life Airbnb Fails: 25:02–27:39
• Bait & Switch Explanation: 28:06–29:22
• Vice Investigation Recap: 32:12–56:08
• Review Intimidation & Peer Reputation: 45:30–49:40
• Airbnb Racism Tactics: 50:13–51:04
• Scam Network Structure & Fake Listings: 52:11–56:08
• Abbott Pacific Deep Dive & FBI Involvement: 60:38–65:11

Tone & Final Thoughts

The episode is hilarious, in-your-face, and peppered with classic Scam Goddess energy—candid, spicy, and deeply relevant commentary about trust, identity, and the risks of the gig economy. Laci and Lamar skillfully balance levity with moments of real insight about systemic issues in fraud, technology, and race. The audience is left both entertained and wary—armed with laughter and a warning: Stay scheming, but beware those five-star “homes.”

Where to Find the Guests:

• Lamar Woods: Watch his film “It’s a Party” on Showtime
• Laci Mosley: @DivaLaci on all platforms

Scam Goddess is available weekly wherever podcasts stream. Stay scheming!