Airbnb owners turn to private investigators as theft cases rise
Police comb the ransacked Airbnb.
Image: Tiktok
Airbnb owners and guesthouse operators are increasingly turning to private investigators and forensic experts as theft cases continue to rise across Cape Town and the country.
Specialised investigators and forensic experts say the owners of Airbnb’s and guesthouses are increasingly seeking their assistance in a bid to nab thieves, as the crime continues to grow.
Airbnb owner, Heidi Sampson, went viral on TikTok on April 15, sharing her shock after guests, who were a couple, allegedly ransacked her venue in Gqeberha, stripping electrical outlets, fixtures, and walking off with appliances such as a microwave and air fryer.
The post received 98.8k likes, 8 758 comments, and 37.1k shares.
In a second video, Sampson shows CCTV footage of the couple allegedly walking off with her belongings, including a television.
She shared that the couple had been apprehended but were only held for three nights due to the case being withdrawn following a lack of evidence.
Cape Town forensic expert, Ben Lombard of LieTech Polygraph and Forensic Services, has been cracking cases at Airbnb’s and guesthouses, often finding undocumented criminals such as cleaners, pinching jewellery.
Lombard said the thieves behind a theft at an Airbnb in Constantia had tried to conceal their crime by flushing the stolen jewelry down the drain and toilet.
The victims, a couple from KZN, chose not to open a case with SAPS to avoid an administrative nightmare and were compensated by the owner, he said.
“Polygraph examinations were subsequently conducted on the individuals identified as having access and opportunity," he said.
"Subsequently, one individual made a full admission regarding involvement and indicated the methods of concealment and disposal.
"Certain items were discarded via a shower drain in one of the bedrooms.
The jewels taken from staff at an Airbnb in Constantia.
Image: supplied
"Additional items had been concealed within a toilet system in another room and were purportedly unknowingly flushed away before recovery could take place.
"Despite the method of disposal, the majority of the items discarded via the shower drainage system were ultimately recovered. Following the investigation, the remaining jewellery was secured.”
He said often victims chose not to pursue a criminal case and sought compensation from insurance companies.
“We find that many of our clients are reluctant to report it to the police due to the fact that they are maybe foreigners or out of town and these cases drag and become an unnecessary expense,” he added.
“Most cases they do not have their passports or a work permit so there is no way to track them down," he said.
"I always advise them (owners) to do criminal checks and to take a photograph of the employee along with any other proof of identity.”
Mike Bolhuis, the founder of Specialised Security Services (SSS), who is a prominent private investigator and also specialises in cyber crime said more often than not, the criminals at establishments are "right under your nose", working or as guests, and called for stricter vetting protocols.
“We have seen an increase in people renting a space, particularly Airbnb and similar institutions, and then they would call us to assist. Many of these people who commit these crimes are using stolen identities.You have to make sure the person renting from you or workers, that they are evaluated and vetted."
The Cape Argus approached Wilme Verwoerd, Regional Lead Middle East and Africa Communications for Airbnb, on the issue of the growing trend of theft but has yet to receive a response.
Queries to the police about owners utilising the services of private investigators also went unanswered.