LOS ANGELES—Two men are facing federal fraud charges alleging they ripped off unsuspecting travelers in an $8.5 million short-term rental scam involving properties in Southern California used to defraud customers of Airbnb and similar platforms, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Jan. 4.
Shray Goel, 35, of Miami, and Shaunik Raheja, 34, of Denver, were charged Wednesday in Los Angeles of running the alleged double-booking, bait-and-switch scheme which prosecutors say included discrimination against Black people, according to the DOJ.
