Many people still fall victim to online hotel booking scams.

Enough tricks…

Before searching for "victims," ​​the perpetrators create fake fan pages impersonating accommodation businesses and use previously published images and videos from these establishments to build credibility for the fake fan pages. Then, they continuously run ads on these fake fan pages on Facebook to find "victims" with very attractive offers. For example: "Book 1 night, get 10% off and a free lunch buffet. Book 2 nights, get 15% off and a free dinner with live music every night, plus free shuttle service. Book 3 nights, get 20% off and free lunch and dinner at the hotel…"

More sophisticatedly, these scammers use verified fan pages (indicating ownership verification), and even employ tricks to artificially increase interaction, comments, and positive service reviews to build initial trust with their victims. When customers interact, the scammers send images and service price quotes for customers to choose from; simultaneously, they offer attractive promotions to entice customers, such as a further 5% discount if a 50% deposit is made through the fan page and an additional 10% discount if a 100% deposit is made.

When customers hesitate to make an online deposit, the perpetrators further reinforce the victims' trust by sending booking confirmation forms or invoices with complete information about the deposit-receiving company; at the same time, they instruct them on how to transfer the deposit via bank transfer.

After transferring the deposit, customers receive a confirmation call that the money has been received. However, the transfer details do not match the requirements of the fan page. Therefore, the scam group demands that the victim transfer the money again a second time with the correct details so that the system confirms the deposit is successful, promising to return the money transferred the first time. After two transfers,scam groupThey begin by exploiting the victim's psychology, claiming the victim has transferred money twice and wants it back. They then introduce the victim to the company's accountant for guidance on how to recover the money, and continue to lure the victim into a pre-set scam. When the victim runs out of money and realizes they've been scammed, the group cuts off contact and seizes all of the victim's funds.

Using this tactic, the perpetrators recently defrauded a woman in Hai Phong City of over 1 billion VND when she booked a room at a tourist resort in Ninh Binh province (formerly).

In Quang Ngai province, in July alone, there were dozens of similar scams involving hundreds of millions of dong. A typical example is the case of Ms. NTT (residing in Truong Quang Trong ward, Quang Ngai province). Intending to reward her daughter with a 3-day, 2-night trip to Da Nang before she started university, Ms. T was scammed out of over 250 million dong when booking rooms online through a fake verified Facebook page impersonating a tourist accommodation in Da Nang.

Another victim, Ms. PTCV (residing in Cam Thanh ward, Quang Ngai province), shared: “After interacting with a fake fanpage and transferring over 5 million VND as a deposit for a room in Quy Nhon ward, Gia Lai province, I realized I had been scammed when the perpetrators requested a second transfer due to an incorrect transaction.” It's unbelievable that Ms. V was very vigilant beforehand, even spreading awareness to relatives and friends about common online scams. “But just because of a moment of carelessness and lack of vigilance, I became a victim of professional scammers,” Ms. V added.

Stay alert so you don't fall into a trap.

"Currently, the blue verification badge on a Facebook account can be obtained by subscribing to a service or using tricks to bypass Meta (Facebook's parent company), or users can pay a monthly fee to get the blue badge; therefore, a Facebook account with a blue verification badge is not always a 'genuine' account. Many social media users in Vietnam mistakenly believe these are official fan pages, interacting with them, providing personal information, and confidently transferring money without realizing they have fallen into the trap of scammers," said an officer from the Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department of the Quang Ngai Provincial Police.

Taking advantage of the fact that many social media users tend to trust verified accounts and fanpages, mistakenly believing them to be the official accounts of accommodation establishments and resorts, scammers have thoroughly exploited this psychology to increase their fraudulent activities by taking hotel and homestay bookings through fanpages during holidays, Tet (Lunar New Year), early spring, and summer...

Furthermore, in some cases, people are scammed but hesitate to report it to the police because the amount of money lost is only a few million or over ten million dong. Many also don't share their experiences publicly on social media for fear of being ridiculed. This is one of the reasons why online booking scams are flourishing, resulting in thousands more people becoming victims of these fraudulent networks every day.

“We advise people to be vigilant against unusual hotel room discount advertisements; when in need, people should carefully research information about tourism service providers in general and tourist accommodation establishments in particular before booking services. When making payment transactions, people should only book services on official websites and fan pages of tourism service businesses provided by local tourism management agencies or through reputable booking platforms. In case of suspected fraudulent activities or property theft, report immediately to the nearest police station for timely assistance and handling,” advised Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Thanh, Head of the Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department of the Quang Ngai Provincial Police.