Phishing Scams Mimic Hotel Booking Confirmations, Warns National Cyber Directorate

The National Cyber Directorate is alerting the public to a surge in phishing attempts targeting individuals who have recently booked hotel accommodations. Scammers are sending messages designed to look like official booking confirmations, often from platforms like Booking.com, which contain links to fraudulent websites.

These deceptive messages can be particularly convincing, sometimes including genuine booking details such as stay dates and reservation numbers. This personalization aims to trick recipients into believing the message is legitimate, related to a vacation they have already planned. The link provided in the message, however, does not lead to the official booking site but rather to a fake page designed to steal personal and payment information.

The Cyber Directorate emphasizes that the inclusion of familiar details does not guarantee the authenticity of the message. They strongly advise against clicking any links in such messages. Instead, individuals should independently access the official booking website or app to verify their reservation details and check for any new communications or requests.

If a user has already entered their credit card information on a fraudulent site, they are urged to contact their credit card company immediately for guidance. Reporting these phishing attempts to the National Cyber Directorate's hotline at 119 is also recommended. The core advice remains: never confirm a booking through a link received in a message; always go directly to the official platform.