'Ghost' fanpage traps tourists

The story of “the first time in 6 years that plum blossoms have bloomed so beautifully” has made Moc Chau the most attractive destination in the North since the Lunar New Year. However, this attraction has made this place a “fat bait” for scammers. A series of fake fanpages of famous homestays have appeared, luring tourists into traps.

Lost money because of fake fanpage

Nguyen Phuong Linh (27 years old, Hanoi) and her group of friends planned to travel to Moc Chau before Tet. After searching on Facebook, she booked a room at a famous homestay through a fanpage with thousands of likes and regularly updated posts. The fanpage owner asked for a 50% deposit to reserve a spot with the reason that "it's a busy holiday, we don't accept reservations by word of mouth."

“The fanpage looked very trustworthy, with photos of guests checking in, 5-star reviews, and even a booking confirmation sent via text message. I had no doubts and immediately transferred a 2 million VND deposit,” Linh said.

On the day of departure, Linh called to confirm but the phone number was unreachable and the fanpage had disappeared from Facebook. When she went to the homestay address, the owner was really surprised: “My place does not accept bookings via Facebook, nor does it require a prepayment. I have received countless calls asking about being scammed like you.”

Moc Chau is overloaded with tourists thanks to the rare beautiful plum blossom season. Photo: TRONG DIA

On Moc Chau tourism forums, dozens of other tourists also shared their experiences of becoming victims of ghost fanpages. Some lost several hundred thousand dong, others lost tens of millions of dong when booking a complete vacation package with meals.

Tran Minh Hoang (30 years old, HCMC) said he booked a room at a resort advertised with a beautiful view and a 40% discount. The fanpage owner asked Hoang to transfer the entire room fee to reserve the place. When he arrived, he was shocked to realize that the address did not exist.

“I contacted the fanpage but it was blocked, and no one answered my phone. After researching, I found out that many people were also scammed like that,” Hoang was indignant.

Ms. Le Thu Trang (35 years old, Hai Phong ) was also a victim of this scam. Trang booked a homestay advertised as having an ancient space, suitable for family vacations. After transferring a deposit of 3 million VND, she was sent a very professional “booking confirmation”.

However, upon arrival, the homestay owner confirmed that they do not accept bookings via Facebook. “21 people, young and old, had to return to Hanoi that day because they really could not find another place to stay. I felt really frustrated and helpless,” Trang shared.

Many tourists fall into scam traps when booking rooms through fake fanpages.

On Facebook groups specializing in Moc Chau tourism, there are many posts warning about fake fanpages every day. Some victims said that scammers often use many different accounts to pretend to be tourists, leaving compliments on posts, creating a sense of trust for viewers. They also edit photos, create fake booking confirmations to make customers feel secure when transferring money.

Prevent fraud

According to homestay owners in Moc Chau, the scams are becoming more and more professional. The subjects not only copy all the images and content of the posts from the main page but also create fanpages with similar names, using identical profile pictures and cover photos. Some people even buy fake likes and comments to increase their credibility.

Mr. Do Hong Thai, owner of Mama's House homestay, said: "Fake fanpages now look very real, from posts to customer consultation. They even have fake booking confirmations, which have fooled many tourists."

Homestays are constantly posting warnings to tourists. “Every day, at least a few guests message us asking which fanpages are real. We have to post a list of fake pages to help tourists avoid being scammed,” said a representative of The November homestay.

Ms. Dinh Thi Huong, Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Moc Chau district, admitted that this situation has been going on for many months but it is very difficult to trace the subjects behind it. “These fanpages usually only exist for a short time. After they have swindled money, they will delete or change their names, making it very difficult for authorities to identify the identity of the scammers.”

Travel expert Le Hai Anh (Flamingo Redtours Company) shared that online booking is becoming more and more popular, but it also has many potential risks, especially the situation of fake fanpages of homestays and hotels to scam tourists. To avoid becoming a victim, tourists should pay attention before booking, look for official information of the homestay or hotel.

“Many scammers prey on the fear of running out of rooms to ask for immediate deposits. Ask the hotel to send an official booking confirmation email with a clear contact phone number. If possible, prioritize deposits through secure payment channels or choose on-site payment.

In addition, if a homestay is famous but the price is 30-50% cheaper than the market price, especially during peak season, it can be confirmed that 90% of this is a scam. In case tourists are not familiar with the tourist area or want to ensure absolute safety, book a room through reputable travel agencies or official booking websites with customer protection policies in case of disputes," said expert Hai Anh.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has just issued a document requesting tourism management departments to strengthen the prevention, suppression and handling of fraud in the tourism sector, especially online booking fraud, by providing information on registered tourism service businesses in the area so that people and tourists can know and book services; coordinate to fully update information on local tourism service providers on the database system of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. The document clearly states that the departments should strengthen inspection and examination work, promptly detect and handle violations; coordinate with competent authorities to regularly review and prevent fake websites and fanpages...

Source TPO

Source: https://baotayninh.vn/fanpage-ma-giang-bay-du-khach-a186215.html