When organizing a getaway, users try to find the best accommodation at the lowest possible price, something that cybercriminals take into account. Gone are the simple scams. The techniques for stealing personal data and money from our bank accounts are evolving, making it more complicated than ever to detect them.
The latest scam detected is directed precisely against users looking for accommodation through the famous Booking platform. As the cybersecurity firm ESET points out in its blog, a group of hackers would be using a phishing technique, through which they impersonate hotels within the app. We tell you all the details below.
In this scam, cybercriminals pose as hotels that operate within the Booking app, one of the most used when finding vacation accommodation. They infiltrate the app’s chat, which affects users who have already made a reservation through this popular platform.
The modus operandi is as follows: scammers inform customers that their reservation could be canceled due to a credit card verification problem, so they must follow instructions to solve this problem.
At this moment they send a link, which we can verify is not that of any official Booking website. However, when contacting from the platform’s own help chat, it is common for many users to fall into the trap.
This scam, which is being detected in several countries, has managed to steal up to 1,500 euros from a victim. At the moment, the hotels are refusing to refund the amounts, claiming that since these are fraudulent payments they are not responsible.
