Hotel Booking Scam: Online fraud in the name of hotel bookings has increased rapidly. Scammers are extorting money from people through fake websites by taking advance payments or card details. Learn how to avoid them.

Hotel Booking Scam: The network of scammers has increased significantly in the country in recent times. Scammers are experimenting with new methods to defraud people. Many people are being duped digitally, resulting in the loss of crores of rupees. Online travel is on the rise in the country these days, and scammers are capitalizing on this. Recently, a man fell into such a trap while booking a hotel.

A link received on WhatsApp gained his trust. The scammers engaged him in a relaxed conversation, eventually obtaining the OTP and siphoning off lakhs of rupees from his credit card. This is why it is more important than ever to be vigilant before booking a hotel. Let's explain how scammers lure you into this trap and how you can avoid it.

How do scammers lure you into booking hotels?

In today's world, you need to be cautious when making any kind of online booking. People are being defrauded even in online travel bookings. In this scam, scammers first build trust. They start the conversation by posing as hotel agents, travel support, or customer care. Then, they send you a link that looks exactly like the real site. On these cloned sites, even the hotel's photos, logos, and designs are copied.

This makes it difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake. Some scammers even list fake customer care numbers on Google, urging you to call them and share your payment details. Tempted by the sudden 70% off deal, pending confirmation, or the urgency of only 2 rooms left, many people don't take the time to think and end up losing money.

How to tell if a hotel booking site is real or fake?

When you find any link, first check its URL. It should always start with https:// and show a padlock icon. Read the URL's spelling carefully, as scammers often use spoofs like MakMyTrip or Goibibo.co. Another way is to hover over the link to see where it actually leads.

A genuine website will have a Contact Us and About Us page with a real phone number and address. It's also wise to search the hotel's name separately on Google and check reviews. If a deal seems too cheap, that's the biggest red flag in most cases. And if you accidentally get scammed, immediately call your bank, block your card, and file a complaint with a cybercrime portal.