Hotel booking scams during the September 2nd holiday and how to avoid them.

Many hotels and resorts advertise surprisingly low prices for the September 2nd holiday, but if you're not careful, you could fall into a scam.

In the past few weeks, even before the four-day National Day holiday on September 2nd began, scams involving cheap hotel and resort bookings and entertainment services have proliferated on social media.

Fake fan pages are flooding the market, designed to scam people into booking hotel rooms.

Ms. Minh Tam (from Dong Nai province) saw the fan page of a 4-star hotel in Vung Tau ward (Ho Chi Minh City) with tens of thousands of followers, luxurious images, and attractive "discounted" room rates, and trusted it to book two rooms for her family for the holiday, only to lose her deposit after being scammed.

According to Ms. Minh Tam, the hotel's fanpage responded very quickly, sending pictures of the room, the buffet menu, etc. The scammer asked her to transfer a 3 million VND deposit to reserve the room. "I thought a large hotel couldn't possibly scam me, so I confidently transferred the money. After reading the scam warning, I contacted them again and only then realized I had been scammed," Ms. Tam recounted.

Some fake fan pages have only recently changed their names. (Inset image: A legitimate hotel posts a warning about fake fan pages. Screenshot: TR.NGUYỄN)

Mr. Thanh Hoang (from Ho Chi Minh City) recounted that a few days ago he was looking for hotel rooms for his family to go to Vung Tau for the September 2nd holiday. He saw a fan page advertising a 4-star hotel for only 1.5 million VND per night, so he messaged them intending to book, but they required a 50% deposit, which made him suspicious. "Most large hotels don't require a deposit, even when booking through online travel platforms, so I was suspicious. I called the hotel's official phone number and only then did I find out that the fan page was fake," Mr. Hoang said.

According to accommodation establishments in Vung Tau, the scam of impersonating hotel and resort fanpages frequently recurs during peak tourist seasons. A representative from Ngoc Hanh Hotel (Thuy Van Street, Vung Tau Ward) stated: "Our hotel fanpage is frequently faked. Many guests transfer large sums of money only to find out they've been scammed when they contact the reception desk. In some cases, fraudsters send fake links, gain control of the phone, and drain the entire account; some guests have lost up to 80 million VND."

Malibu Hotel Vung Tau also confirmed that it had received many similar complaints. The hotel advises guests to book rooms through reputable platforms or to verify directly by calling the hotel's official phone number.

The sales director of a 4-star hotel in Ho Chi Minh City shared that she is in a chat group with many managers of 3-5 star hotels in the area, and frequently hears about frustrating cases of people being impersonated on fake fan pages. "The scammers not only create eye-catching fake fan pages and payment receipts, bookings, and bank transfers that are very professional, but they also forge even the hotel's bank account numbers, leading to many people being deceived," the hotel director said.

Not only in Vung Tau, but also in many popular tourist destinations like Da Lat, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, and Ho Chi Minh City, fake fan pages of 4-5 star resorts and hotels are rampant, with interfaces, information, and images even more appealing than the real pages. Some pages, which only changed their names in July 2025, have very high interaction rates and even verified badges, leading many people to trust and be scammed. In particular, the scammers are very enthusiastic and professional when responding to messages, often requesting customers to transfer 30% - 50% of the room rate as a deposit, urging them to transfer the money quickly to get a super cheap price. Many people, fearing they will miss out, comply. Only on the day of check-in do they realize they have been scammed.

Check carefully before booking.

In response to this situation, many people have taken to travel groups to warn about fake hotel fan pages offering "surprisingly cheap" promotions in order to prevent scams.

Meanwhile, the leaders of some hotels said that to combat the problem of impersonation, they have considered registering for verified accounts to reassure guests. However, some fake fan pages are still being granted verification, causing confusion among many people.

From a management perspective, the People's Committee of Vung Tau ward advises tourists to book rooms and services through official channels. Ideally, contact hotels and accommodations directly or book through reputable and verified websites and booking applications, rather than transacting through personal Facebook or Zalo accounts lacking legal information.

Before transferring money, it's necessary to verify and cross-check the address and phone number from multiple sources; and request a receipt or booking confirmation with complete information from the accommodation provider. Tourists should not transfer the entire amount upfront. If a deposit is required, it should be prioritized to be made through the hotel's or business's official bank account, and absolutely avoid transferring money to a personal account.

The Hanoi Department of Tourism has also issued a warning about similar situations. According to the agency, common tactics used by these individuals include impersonating well-known hotels and homestays; listing unusually low room rates to lure customers; and requesting customers to transfer deposits in advance via personal accounts or e-wallets, then using excuses to request additional payments.

When a hotel or homestay has multiple websites or fan pages with the same name, check for unusual signs such as: recently created or renamed but posting aggressive advertisements and shocking discounts; administrators located in countries other than Vietnam; and the use of multiple fake accounts (newly created, with blank profile pictures) to post positive comments and reviews. When booking, request that the hotel or homestay provide information about their phone number, address, and business license.

A blue checkmark is not an absolute guarantee.

Mr. Khoi Le, Country Director of Meta in Vietnam, stated that the blue checkmark on Facebook simply confirms that the account is legitimate and has been verified, and does not mean that it is a reputable page. According to him, many users in Vietnam still misunderstand the meaning of this symbol.

A Meta representative stated that they have received numerous reports regarding impersonation and fraud on the platform. The company recommends that users utilize the tools available on Facebook to report and handle violations, instead of relying on external services. Simultaneously, Meta has also opened a separate channel for the Vietnamese community to receive feedback and adjust policies accordingly.

Mr. Le Hong Duc, founder of OneAds Digital, warned that scams using verified badges are becoming increasingly sophisticated, especially during peak seasons like holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year). Fake fan pages impersonating hotels and restaurants may proliferate; some individuals even hack verified fan pages and rename them to gain trust. "Users should not consider the verified badge as an absolute guarantee. Before making any transactions, carefully check the information and verify the origin of the fan page," Mr. Duc emphasized.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/lua-dao-dat-phong-khach-san-dip-le-2-9-196250829210313399.htm