A recently discovered scam is now targeting customers who made reservations through the service provider Booking.com. Scammers are telling them that their hotel bookings will be revoked. This fraudulent plan is designed to intimidate each recipient into a state of panic, pushing them to act precipitously to protect their reservations from forfeiture. Regulators in Australia have raised alarms about this issue, which has gained traction in the UK, where victims reported substantial financial losses.
The con often includes fake emails or texts saying you need to take action in less than three hours to reserve a spot. It preys on the vulnerability and anxiety that travelers are starting to experience as they plan for their holidays. As we work toward year-end travel peaks, conmen are using the surge in travel season vacationers reserving rooms to make holiday season frauds more common.
The Mechanics of the Scam
Scammers send emails or texts that seem to be from Booking.com, creating an illusion of urgency. These messages frequently include intimidating language meant to scare the recipient into acting right away. Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting center for fraud and cyber crime, logged 532 reports of this scam from June 2023 until the end of September 2024. These scams resulted in huge losses, upwards of £370,000.
That urgency communicated by these flashy messages can easily cause people to gloss over their most important points. “Scammers tend to use tactics like spelling and grammar mistakes in their communications, which help to further manipulate the victims. As stated by Booking.com, “Scam messages often include urgent language and may contain spelling or grammar errors.”
HP Wolf Security has released screengrabs of these scam messages, which are widely available online. Sharing these images allows other victims to be warned about malicious activity. These examples show how con artists design persuasive messages that could start out looking very real to vulnerable travelers.
Regulatory Warnings and Reactions
To combat the increasing amount of frauds, regulators in Australia have started sounding alarms to their constituents. They recommend travelers stay on alert and question any last-minute messages about their reservations. Like any other seasonal threat, as summer turns into vacation season, phishing emails multiply accordingly. This increase comes at the exact time that consumers are making their travel plans and becoming more susceptible to these scams.
Booking.com recently made headlines by reminding travelers to confirm their booking information directly on their platform instead of reacting to last-minute communications. Be sure to verify the property’s payment policies as detailed on the booking page or in your confirmation email. The company sends a strong message for you to tread lightly. If your destination doesn’t have a pre-payment policy or deposit requirement listed, but you are requested to pay upfront for your reservation, it’s probably a scam.
The Impact of Sophisticated Scams
The fashion of these scams has advanced dramatically, especially with new technology and artificial intelligence. Booking.com noted that “there is an increasing number of online scams targeting many businesses operating in the e-commerce space.” Cybercriminals are using these same tools to develop more persuasive and misleading tactics.
It’s a reminder that travelers should always be careful when they get unsolicited communications regarding their travel plans. Always validate the legitimacy of any correspondence from travel service providers, including Booking.com. This is the most important step to take in order to protect yourself and avoid scams.