13 April 2017 Last updated at 21:02 BST
The BBC spoke to three people who were robbed after they advertised their properties on the accommodation-booking service.
The scammers hijacked accounts with verified badges and changed some of personal details to pull off the thefts.
Airbnb said it had already been working on the changes – which include sending text warnings if profiles are altered – when the crimes were brought to its attention.
"Unfortunately there have been some incidents where hosts and guests have suffered," said Nate Blecharczyk, co-founder of Airbnb.
"This is not acceptable to us, therefore we’re working around the clock to do everything we can to improve our detection and prevention methods."
Airbnb is improving the security of its app and website after a BBC investigation found people’s homes had been burgled by scammers using stolen accounts.