Store advertised furniture stolen from Airbnb in SC for amounts above what was paid to the suspect

The used furniture store that purchased the goods stolen by an Airbnb guest, in Balneário Rincão, in the south of Santa Catarina, even advertised the items on social media. Images released by the Civil Police show that the products were resold for amounts well above the price paid to the woman.

According to the police, the woman sold all the furniture for just R$3,800, although the owner of the house estimated that the goods were worth around R$17,000. The guest was charged with qualified theft by fraud. Her name was not released.

The video released by police shows advertisements for four items. The price charged for the refrigerator alone - R$3,300 - almost equaled the total paid by the store for all the furniture.

The publications show that the two double beds were offered for R$1,200 each, and the washing machine, for R$2,200 (watch the video at the top of the report).

The trader who purchased the furniture was charged with negligent reception (when there is no intention to acquire the proceeds of crime). The name of the establishment was not disclosed.

According to the Civil Police, the following were taken: Two box beds; Four bedside tables; A sofa; Three stools; A bathroom counter; A 32-inch television; A washing and drying machine; A refrigerator.

In an interview with g1, the owner, who preferred not to be identified, said that the reservation was made for the morning of September 23rd by a woman who introduced herself as a nurse from a hospital in the region.

The next day, she asked how long she could stay at the property. The owner informed her that she would leave by 1pm, and she replied that she would leave the house at noon.

After the agreed time, the owner went to the location to organize the property. Still through the window, he noticed that several objects had disappeared.

"I already noticed that the things were no longer there. At that moment, I already saw that something had happened, that the furniture had already been taken, that something wrong had happened", said the owner.

He called the police and filed a police report.

When seeking information from neighbors, he got a photo of a moving truck that would have been used to remove the furniture (see photo below).

He also discovered that, in order not to arouse suspicion, the investigated woman had told the residents that she had purchased the property and was its new owner.

Airbnb has suspended the account of the guest in question while it investigates the case.

Every reservation made on Airbnb comes with Host Damage Protection, which covers losses caused to hosts up to $3 million in the rare cases where items are damaged or stolen during a stay.

In addition, Airbnb has a team dedicated to serving public authorities that is also available to support any investigation related to the case.