Woman flees Airbnb after discovering owner’s dark past – and is then left furious when she’s denied a refund

A woman fled an Airbnb stay when she learned of the host’s dark history of sex crimes, but was furious when she was later denied a refund.

Natasha Harrington booked a stay at Winston Nguyen’s home in Harlem, New York City, which was listed on Airbnb, but when she arrived, another tenant knocked on her door and told her to Google his name.

Harrington was then shocked to recognize that her host who had just greeted her, Nguyen, is accused of soliciting sexually explicit photos from teenagers.

Nguyen, 37, was accused of posing as a teenager on social media 11 times between October 2022 and May 2024 in an attempt to convince students to send him sexual images

She had said in a post on Reddit that she initially found him “very nice and charming,” but everything changed when she heard a light knock on the door.

Standing at the door was a man who had seen her enter the apartment building and wondered what she was there for, which Harrington had rejected.

He told her: ‘I’m trying to be very discreet. I’ve found out some things about this guy, and he’s not a good person. Google his name. He’s a pedophile. And he’s being deported, so I don’t know how long you’ll be here.”

Nguyen, 37, was accused of posing as a teenager on social media 11 times between October 2022 and May 2024. Independentin an attempt to convince students to send him sexual images.

“I was really scared,” she said Gothamist. Harrington, who works as a kindergarten teacher in Manhattan, then contacted her sister and partner to reveal her situation.

She told the outlet that she went to sleep “uncomfortably,” fled in the morning with all her belongings and contacted Airbnb to get a refund of the $1,600 fee.

Harrington then spent a grueling few days trying to contact customer support and find someone to help her, but she was furious when the company told her the situation did not violate Airbnb’s refund policy.

An Airbnb spokesperson said: ‘The safety of our community is a priority and we have been in contact with our guests to provide them with support, including providing a full refund. The host has been removed from the platform in accordance with our policies’

Nguyen has pleaded not guilty and his next court appearance is scheduled for October 17

The company advised Harrington to contact the host, as is the policy at that stage. She told Gothamist, “It was extremely frustrating and it felt like even the living people I talked to weren’t really receptive to doing anything about it. the situation. Everyone kept asking, “Did you talk to the host?” – which of course I didn’t talk to him about.’

Screenshots showed Harrington’s attempts to explain the situation, even providing links about Nguyen’s accusations, the outlet reported, but the customer service members she spoke to were clear.

“As much as I would like to shorten your stay and process the refund for you, as the host has not given me permission to process a refund, I cannot proceed any further,” one message read.

Harrington was continually told that the situation “didn’t qualify under our refund policy” and that decision was in the hands of the host, who had said he was abiding by the cancellation policy and refusing to offer a refund.

She took the matter to Reddit and after describing what happened, she was urged to contact local media.

Airbnb said 25 minutes after being notified of its plans that they are “taking these reports seriously and are currently investigating,” Harrington wrote on Reddit.

Hours after Gothamist contacted Airbnb, Harrington had received a refund and, according to an Airbnb spokesperson, Nguyen had been removed from the platform.

An Airbnb spokesperson said: ‘The safety of our community is a priority and we have been in contact with our guests to provide them with support, including providing a full refund. The host has been removed from the platform in accordance with our policies.”

In 2019 the Jeopardy! The contestant was also indicted and jailed for a fourth month on Rikers Island after stealing $300,000 from a 96-year-old blind man and his 92-year-old wife, both of whom have since died

As of 2020, Nguyen worked as a math teacher for the $60,000-a-year private school, St. Ann’s School in Brooklyn

Nguyen used the stolen $300,000 for expensive ballet tickets, Broadway shows and trips to Florida with his friends

Nguyen had been working as a math teacher for the $60,000-a-year private school St. Ann’s School in Brooklyn since 2020 and was “immediately placed on leave by the school and he remains on leave,” Daily Mail reported.

In 2019 the Jeopardy! The contestant was also charged and jailed for a fourth month on Rikers Island after stealing $300,000 from a 96-year-old blind man and his 92-year-old wife, both of whom have since died.

Nguyen was hired in 2009 to help the blind man and his wife with daily tasks, and used the stolen money for expensive ballet tickets, Broadway shows and trips to Florida with his friends.

Harrington said she hopes policies will be put in place to protect against situations like hers in the future.

She told Gothamist, “It’s completely unfair to leave it solely up to the host whether they want to refund someone or not if they’re the problem.”

Airbnb shared that after an investigation, they have been working to address Harrington’s issue. They said: ‘we identified that further support was required… as part of our support we assisted with the rebooking costs.’

Nguyen had no previous reports of security-related issues, according to Airbnb’s statement, and the company “maintained a structural policy that governs who can have an account.”

Airbnb also stated that they conduct standard criminal background checks for hosts and guests in the US, looking for convictions.

Nguyen has pleaded not guilty and his next court appearance is scheduled for October 17.