On July 15th, Ms. Hoang Nga (residing in Khanh Hoi ward, Ho Chi Minh City) reported to the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper that she had just been scammed out of 10 million VND in hotel room deposit money in Thanh Hoa province.
Even with caution, you can still lose money.
According to Ms. Nga, a few days ago, she was looking to book a 4-5 star resort in the Sam Son beach area (Thanh Hoa) for a weekend getaway with her family. Having experience and being cautious, she checked various booking apps to compare prices before finding The Victoria Beach Resort FLC Samson.
Seeing that the resort's fan page on Facebook had many likes, real-life experience videos , photos, and comments, she messaged them to inquire about booking information.
"After exchanging messages, photos, and videos of the room and agreeing on the price, the person sent a professional receipt with complete information: full name, booking date and time, number of people, deposit amount, and remaining balance. Feeling confident, I transferred a 10 million VND deposit, including the booking information and stay date," Ms. Nga recounted.
Immediately after transferring the deposit, the scammer messaged: "The transfer order did not include the correct transfer details as shown on the deposit receipt," and requested a re-transfer, promising that the company would then refund the money to her account. Finding this unreasonable, Ms. Nga became suspicious. When the scammer asked her to fill out information via a link and follow the instructions… it was then that Ms. Nga realized she had been scammed, and fortunately, she hadn't complied.
Tourists relax at a resort in Mui Ne ward ( Lam Dong province).
The scam targeting Ms. Nga is not new and has been frequently warned about. The Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper has also received similar reports from several readers who lost several million to tens of millions of dong due to scams impersonating hotels, resorts, and travel companies during the peak summer season. Many fake fan pages even have verified badges, making it difficult for customers to distinguish them from the real ones.
Beware of surprisingly cheap tours!
Leaders of many travel companies also stated that fraud in the tourism industry is very sophisticated, especially when customers purchase tours, airline tickets, or book hotel rooms through social media or websites of unknown origin.
A representative from Vietnam Travel Company cited examples, stating that if someone advertises super cheap tours like a trip to Japan for 9 million VND, a trip to South Korea for 6 million VND, or a European tour for around 29 million VND, it's not real. The scammers' goal is to take the customer's deposit and then disappear. Therefore, customers should not be tempted by unusually cheap tour prices.
A hotel in Ho Chi Minh City warns of impersonation.
The situation is similar for hotels and resorts, where scammers create fake fan pages using real photos and addresses, but the Zalo contact number is fake. Guests may lose their deposits or find no reservation upon arrival, resulting in wasted money, time, and effort.
On July 15th, the Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department (Ministry of Public Security) also warned of the emergence of scams impersonating travel agencies, accommodation establishments, hotels, resorts, etc., advertising information about tourism programs. If you see newly created or renamed accounts, be vigilant and carefully verify information from multiple sources.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/nhieu-nguoi-bi-lua-dat-phong-khach-san-resort-dip-he-196250715174735648.htm
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