Recently, advocate Vishnu Narayan Pandey, a resident of Cantt police station area in Prayagraj, and one of his companions fell victim to an online hotel booking scam. A cyber fraudster, posing as a hotel agent, gained their trust by sending a link on WhatsApp, engaged in continuous conversation, and then, by obtaining an OTP, siphoned off a total of 1.70 lakh rupees from their credit card in four transactions. Cyber fraudsters often target people through fake websites, phone calls, or cloned booking links. Nowadays, many people book hotels online before traveling for their convenience. So, today, in the Cyber Literacy column, we will discuss hotel booking scams in detail. We will also learn about- Question- What is hotel booking scam and how do fraudsters execute it? Answer- This is a type of online fraud, in which cybercriminals deceive people by posing as hotel agents, travel executives, or booking support teams, using fake links, fraudulent websites, or fake customer care numbers. They first gain trust through conversation, then take advance payment from the victim. As soon as the money is transferred, they cut off contact and the booking turns out to be fake. Understand this with the graphic below- Read also: Beware of Netflix payment scam Let’s understand these points in a bit more detail. 1. Fake or Clone Website Scammers create fake websites by copying a hotel or booking aggregator (like Booking.com, MakeMyTrip). They steal the logo, pictures, and design of the real website. There is a slight manipulation in the URL, which people fail to notice and fall into the trap. 2. Fake Customer Care Numbers Cybercriminals list their fake phone numbers on Google Maps or Google Search under the name of a real hotel. When a customer calls that hotel, they talk to a scammer, who asks for credit card information or advance payment under the guise of helping with the booking. 3. Phishing Emails and SMS Scammers send attractive or intimidating emails and SMS, such as “70% discount on your favorite hotel” or “Your booking confirmation is pending”. These contain a link that leads to their fake website and asks for payment or personal information. Read also: Smart ways to avoid ‘Phishing scam’ on your smartphone Fake Social Media Advertisements Cyber fraudsters advertise incredibly cheap deals by showing pictures of luxurious hotels on Facebook or Instagram. These advertisements lead you to a fake booking page. Question – How do people fall into the trap of hotel booking scams? Answer – This scam is prepared in a very strategic way, which is why common people easily get deceived. There can be several reasons behind them falling into the trap. Such as- 1. Haste and Urgency Scammers use tactics like ‘only 2 rooms left’ or ‘offer ending in the next 10 minutes’. This makes people panic and make payments without thinking or investigating. 2. Lure of Cheap Offers When someone sees a 5-star hotel available at the price of a 2-star, they ignore other dangers out of greed. Such offers are always scams. 3. Trusting numbers given on Google Often people believe that the first number or the first website appearing on Google Search or Google Maps is always correct. They are unaware that scammers can use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tricks to bring their fake listings to the top. 4. Lack of Technical Awareness Common people do not know the difference between ‘http’ and ‘https’ or how to check the spelling of a website’s URL. They do not pay attention to the secure padlock (Google’s side icon). Question- How to identify if a hotel booking website is real or fake? Answer- Before clicking on any link or making a payment, some basic things should be checked. Such as- 1. HTTPS Always ensure that the website’s URL starts with https://, not http://. The ‘S’ stands for ‘Secure’. Along with this, a padlock icon also appears in the browser. 2. Spelling Read the URL’s spelling carefully. Scammers often make minor changes to the real name, such as writing ‘MakMyTrip’ instead of ‘MakeMyTrip’ or ‘Goibibo.co’ instead of ‘Goibibo’. 3. Domain Name Sometimes the link can be long, such as www.makemytrip.offers.com. In this, the real website is offers.com, not makemytrip. The name of the real website always comes just before .com or .in (e.g., www.makemytrip.com). 4. Hover over the link If you are on a computer, move your mouse over the link without clicking it. The real URL that the link will take you to will appear in the bottom corner of your browser. 5. Check Contact Details A genuine website will always have a ‘Contact Us’ or ‘About Us’ page, which provides the real address, a working phone number, and an official email ID. 6. Reviews and Social Proof Search for the hotel’s name separately on Google and check its reviews on other booking sites. Question – Is the phone number displayed on Google always genuine? Answer – Cyber Security Advisor Rahul Mishra states that no, it is very easy to change a phone number on Google Maps. Many hotel owners have complained that their genuine number was replaced by scammers with a fake number, causing customer calls to go directly to the fraudsters. Many times, scammers claim that they are the official booking team. While talking on the phone, they behave in a professional manner, which does not raise suspicion. The safe way to do this is to use the number provided on the hotel’s official website or its social media account. Question – How to avoid hotel booking scams? Answer- For this, pay special attention to a few things. Understand it from the graphic below- Question- What should be done immediately if you fall victim to a scam? Answer- In such a situation, do not panic, take immediate steps. Such as- Question – Where can I complain about hotel scams? Answer – You can complain about any online fraud on the Cyber Crime Portal website https://www.cybercrime.gov.in or helpline number 1930. Additionally, you can also file an FIR at the local police station.
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