HEADING to Spain? Watch out for this very convincing hotel booking scam
Fraudsters are targeting holidaymakers with messages that know where you are staying, when you arrive and even your booking details
Booked a hotel in Spain this summer? Be careful what you click.
Spain’s Guardia Civil has warned holidaymakers about a scam spreading through WhatsApp.
Fraudsters are posing as hotels and asking guests to confirm bookings through fake links.
What makes it convincing is the amount of information they may already have.
The message can include your name, hotel, dates of stay and even your booking reference.
That is enough to make many people believe they are dealing with the real hotel.
The scammers usually claim there is a problem with the reservation or payment. They then send a link and ask the guest to confirm their details.
But the link leads to a fake website.
Once there, victims can be asked for personal information, passwords or bank details.
Some travellers have already lost money.
Spain’s cybersecurity institute INCIBE has reported a case in which a customer received messages connected to a genuine hotel booking and later suffered fraudulent card charges.
The hotel later said its account on the booking platform had been compromised and used to contact guests.
Spanish consumer group OCU has also received complaints from travellers who say they lost hundreds of euros after trusting messages containing real booking information.
How to avoid the scam
The Guardia Civil says travellers should not click on unexpected links sent through WhatsApp.
Instead, open the hotel or booking platform’s official website or app yourself.
If something looks wrong, call the hotel directly using a number from its official website.
Anyone who has already entered bank details should contact their bank as soon as possible and keep screenshots of the messages and links.
The important thing to remember is simple: a message may know exactly where you are staying and still be fake.
Click here to read more Olive Press Travel News from The Olive Press.
