Cousins Admit $8.5M Double-Booking Rental Scam

Shray Goel and Shaunik Raheja used fake IDs to defraud customers across Airbnb and Vrbo.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 8:10pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of a crumpled rental agreement document, the harsh lighting and dark background creating a stark, gritty aesthetic that conceptually captures the investigative nature of this fraud case.A stark visual representation of the deception and financial harm caused by a sophisticated rental fraud scheme.Los Angeles Today

Two cousins, Shray Goel and Shaunik Raheja, have pleaded guilty to running a years-long double-booking rental scam that pulled in $8.5 million. The pair used fake host names and other people's identities to list short-term rentals on platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, posting the same properties multiple times at different prices and then canceling lower-paying bookings with made-up excuses.

Why it matters

This case highlights the growing problem of rental fraud, which can have serious financial and emotional consequences for unsuspecting customers. It also raises concerns about the need for stronger oversight and verification processes in the short-term rental industry to protect consumers.

The details

According to federal prosecutors, Goel and Raheja's scheme involved more than 10,000 reservations across owned and leased homes, operated through entities like Abbot Pacific LLC and Jet Set Work LLC. The indictment also accuses the pair of disproportionately canceling bookings made by guests perceived to be Black, though neither man admitted to that or to the full scale of the operation.

  • Goel and Raheja ran the scam from 2017 to 2019.
  • Goel has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, with sentencing set for August 14.
  • Raheja has pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for lying to federal agents, with sentencing set for September 11.

The players

Shray Goel

A 37-year-old resident of Calabasas, California, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud as part of the rental scam.

Shaunik Raheja

A 36-year-old resident of Denver, Colorado, who pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for lying to federal agents about the rental scam.

Abbot Pacific LLC

One of the entities used by Goel and Raheja to operate their rental scam.

Jet Set Work LLC

Another entity used by Goel and Raheja to operate their rental scam.

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What’s next

The judge will determine the sentences for Goel and Raheja on August 14 and September 11, respectively, with maximum prison terms of 20 and 10 years.

The takeaway

This case underscores the need for stronger regulation and oversight in the short-term rental industry to protect consumers from sophisticated fraud schemes. It also highlights the disproportionate impact that such scams can have on marginalized communities.