Hotel Booking Scams: 10 Warning Signs and How to Protect Yourself

How hotel booking scams work, 10 warning signs, how to book safely and what to do if you are caught out in the UK, US or Australia.

Hotel booking fraud has grown as more travel is booked online. Scams range from crude fake listings to convincing messages that appear to come from a hotel you really have booked. The good news is that a few simple habits protect you from almost all of them.

The most common hotel booking scams

1. Fake hotel websites

Criminals build websites that copy a real hotel's name, photos and branding, sometimes with a slightly different web address. They may appear in search adverts. You pay, and the hotel has no record of your booking.

2. Phishing messages about an existing booking

You receive an email, text or in-app message saying your booking will be cancelled unless you "verify" your card via a link. Sometimes this comes through a real booking platform's messaging system because the hotel's account has been compromised. The link leads to a fake payment page.

3. Fake holiday rental listings

Stunning apartments at low prices on classified sites or social media, with the "owner" asking you to pay by bank transfer to secure the booking.

4. Fake call centres

Searching "hotel phone number" can lead to adverts for third-party call centres posing as the hotel. They may overcharge or take payment for nothing.

5. Front-desk phone scam

At the hotel, you receive a call late at night from "reception" saying there is a problem with your card and asking you to read out the details. The real front desk would ask you to come down.

6. Fake Wi-Fi networks

Free networks with names similar to the hotel's, set up to intercept your data.

7. Social media "deal" pages

Pages advertising impossible discounts on luxury hotels or packages, often asking for payment through messaging apps.

10 warning signs

1. The price is far below every other site for the same hotel and dates.
2. You are asked to pay by bank transfer, gift cards, cryptocurrency or a money-transfer app.
3. There is urgency: "pay within 2 hours or lose your booking".
4. A message asks you to re-enter card details through a link.
5. The web address has odd spelling, extra words or an unusual ending.
6. Contact is only by email or messaging app, with no working phone number.
7. Photos appear on other listings in different cities when you do a reverse image search.
8. The "owner" cannot do a video call or answer specific questions about the property.
9. Reviews are all extremely positive, vague and recent.
10. You are asked to move the conversation off the booking platform.

How to book safely

• Use the hotel's official website (reached by typing its address or via a trusted map listing) or a well-known booking platform.
• Pay by credit card. UK cardholders get Section 75 protection on purchases between £100 and £30,000; in the US and Australia you can request a chargeback for goods or services not provided.
• Never pay outside the platform for a holiday rental.
• Ignore links in unexpected messages. Log in to your booking account directly or call the hotel using a number you found independently.
• Check the booking by calling the hotel a few days after you book.
• Use secure Wi-Fi and confirm the network name with staff. Consider a reputable VPN on public networks.
• Never give card details over the phone to someone who calls you, even claiming to be reception.

What to do if you have been scammed

1. Contact your bank or card provider immediately. Ask them to stop the payment, freeze your card and start a dispute.
2. Change passwords for any account you used, especially if you entered login details on a fake site.
3. Report it: - UK: Action Fraud (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or Police Scotland on 101. Forward suspicious texts to 7726 and phishing emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. - US: ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov) for online fraud. - Australia: ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au) and Scamwatch. Contact IDCARE for identity support.
4. Report to the platform if the scam happened through a booking site or social media.
5. Keep evidence: screenshots, emails, payment records and web addresses.

In the UK, many victims of authorised push payment fraud (where you were tricked into sending a bank transfer) can now claim reimbursement from their bank under rules introduced in October 2024, subject to limits and conditions. Ask your bank.

Quick verification checklist

Before paying for any booking you are unsure about:

• [ ] Found the hotel's official website independently?
• [ ] Web address spelled correctly and secure?
• [ ] Price in line with other major booking sites?
• [ ] Payment by card, not transfer or gift cards?
• [ ] Contact details include a working phone number?
• [ ] Reviews on independent platforms match the listing?
• [ ] No pressure to pay within minutes?

Scams targeting people with existing bookings

The most convincing scams target people who really have booked. Criminals may know your name, dates and hotel because they have gained access to a hotel's account or a booking platform's messaging. Warning signs include messages asking you to "verify" your card within hours, links to unfamiliar payment pages, or threats that your booking will be cancelled. If in doubt, log in to your booking account directly or phone the hotel using the number on its official website.

Protecting older relatives and less confident travellers

Older relatives and first-time online bookers can be targeted. Encourage them to book through well-known sites or a trusted travel agent, pay by card, and call you or the hotel before acting on any urgent message about a booking.

The bottom line

Scammers rely on urgency and unusual payment requests. Slow down, book through trusted channels, pay by card, and verify anything that asks for your details. For more on staying safe once you arrive, read our hotel safety tips.

Prices, fees, taxes and booking rules change often and vary by hotel, date and country. Figures in this guide are typical ranges for planning, not quotes. Always confirm the total price and cancellation terms with the hotel or booking site before you pay.