Is it safe

Using couchsurfing safely and successfully.

The most common question when you explain couchsurfing to someone is, “is it safe?”

I have been a host for a little more than 2 years and I have hosted over 100 people in my home. All the surfers that have visited me have been a great influence in my life. I have learned so much from each and everyone of them. So I have become very concerned about safety while using couchsurfing, particularly for women. I have heard stories from some of my female guests ranging from overt sexual misconduct to stalking after the visit. It is unfortunate that these issues exist in what otherwise is a great resource for travelers and hosts.

In this blog I will try to explain how you can get the most out of couchsurfing and how to enjoy it safely. I’ll point out the red flags so you can avoid a bad and unsafe situation. I will show you how to identify the “good hosts” and, finally, offer possible strategies on what to do if you find yourself in a bad situation.

How couchsurfing works.

Couchsurfing relies on members to provide the information needed for surfers to make an informed decision about where to stay and who to select as host. Couchsurfing.com provides three levels of “verification,”

• Phone
• Government ID
• Address

Each level of verification affords a level of security. Check the verifications of the host you are considering. The more verifications the better. But the most important assurance of a good host are the references left by past surfers.

Read the profile of your potential hoat.

The serious host will have filled out every category in their profile and the real awesome hosts make their profiles as interesting as possible. Hosts will describe their interests in music, movies, books as well as thoughts on everything and anything. Connecting on a personal level is what couchsurfing is all about. A proper host will want to describe his many interests so that surfers with like interests or who are interested in learning more can decide to request from that host. Being smart about selecting a host means you need to read the whole profile carefully. Look for hosts that have similar interests as you or whose interests peak yours.

A search for hosts will most likely yield thousands of results, especially if you are going to a popular tourist location.

It is very important to select your host carefully. There are many scams on couchsurfing designed to attract young girls and women.

A popular scam in couchsurfing is a type of bait and switch.

All social media has bad elements. Couchsurfing is no different. all users, male and female, should be very careful of the few rotten apples.

Here is how the ‘bait and switch, scam works.

A profile will be of an attractive young lady and have just enough information to be believable. The profile will have very few actual surfers and only ‘friends’ as references. These “hosts” will only accept young, attractive girls. Indeed, the profile is simply a lure to get a girl to request to stay. When you are accepted everything seems normal. The “host” will probably chat and seem very friendly.

The first flag occurs when the day the you are to meet the "host" you will get a text message saying that the “host” was called out of town suddenly and she will not be able to meet you but she has asked her friend, “a trusted and reliable male friend”, to cover for her until she gets back and that you can trust him. The “host” assures you it's only for a few hours and that “she” will be back later. This, of course, is not a “friend” but actually the “host.”  By making the change at the last minute it ensures that you have no time to make new plans. By this time the fake “host” has earned your trust and since she vouches for her “male friend” you have very little reason to feel anything is wrong.

The second flag is when the fake “host” then says that her stay out of town has suddenly become indefinite but not to worry you can stay with her “male friend, he’s a nice guy.” By this time it is clear that you will never meet the original “host” and you will spend her stay with the “male friend.”

The third flag will be that the home will be nothing at all as the description on the fake profile and the sleeping arrangement requires you to sleep on the same bed as the “male friend.” Needless to say, this is not good at all. By this time it is too late to make different plans as you find yourself late at night in an unfamiliar city with no apparent recourse.

The obvious solution to this is to not allow yourself to be lured into this situation. It is not your fault if you should find yourself caught in this scam. Travelers are by nature trusting people. We go out of our way to trust people first and doubt later. If you do find yourself too far deep in this situation do not hesitate to call the police. The police in any country will respond to a 911 type call but even if they will not do anything when they get there at least you will be able to leave while the police are there.

What to do if you are lured into this scam.

I recommend that you have the Uber app installed in your smartphone. You can easily call an uber without raising suspicion and be able to get somewhere safe with little or no problem. If you feel unsafe just don't unpack, leave your bags handy and order an Uber.

Have enough cash handy or a credit card to make a reservation at a hotel, hostel or other accommodation such as an AirBnB. Have both the Hostelworld and AirBnB app on your phone as well as Google Maps, this will help you know where you are.

If any of these options are unavailable, don't hesitate to call the police.

Strategies that you can use to avoid being lured into this type of scam.

Watching for the first red flag is the best way to avoid this scam entirely. But it is easy to decide to trust a host that you feel you can trust. They design these profiles specifically to play on your sense of trust.

The second red flag, the switch, is when the host tells you they have to go out of town for a last minute emergency or for some other reason. But they will be back soon and a male friend of theirs who you can trust will pick you up and take you to her place. No legit host will ever do that to a surfer. And of course the last red flag is that when she texts you that she will not be able to return and that you can stay with the friend. At this point it should be clear that you have been tricked into staying with a predator.

Try not to allow yourself to be taken to their place. Ask to pull over to go to the bathroom or to buy food. Find a public place and then refuse to return to the car.  

Learn how to find a good host and learn the techniques to use to be accepted by legitimate hosts, click here.

Couchsurfing is a very rewarding resource for travelers but like everything in life, you must be careful and be smart.