Impersonating a series of hotels to scam

Khanh Hoa Department of Tourism has just sent an urgent document to the Department of Information and Communications, the Provincial Police, the Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa Tourism Association, and tourism businesses in the area to propagate and be alert to acts of fraud and property appropriation.

Checked in and found out I was scammed

Mr. Luong Hoang Thien, Director of Melissa Nha Trang Hotel, said that recently, a series of hotels, including Melissa Nha Trang, have had fake Facebook pages created by some people, using hotel images and information to post rooms for sale. Many customers have transferred money, but only realized they were scammed when they arrived to check in.

Ms. Tuong Ny, representative of Havana Nha Trang Hotel, said that the hotel has posted official information warning about more than 4 fake Facebook pages. These pages use images and information of the Havana brand to provide false information about prices, services and promotions to scam customers' money.

According to Ms. Ny, the subjects using the money transfer accounts also intentionally used names similar to those of large companies to create trust. When the hotel staff called, these subjects did not answer the phone, only providing advice via fanpage. These subjects only required a 50% deposit to create credibility, but when customers asked many questions, they immediately blocked the customers' Facebook.

Havana Hotel in Nha Trang warns of fraud. Photo: HAVANA HOTEL FACEBOOK

Through investigation, the phone number 0343846xxx alone has managed and posted information to receive room reservations for at least 5 hotels. Many prestigious, 5-star hotels and famous resorts have also had their fanpages set up by these impersonators with only a few thousand followers.

When we tried to book a room at the famous resort A. in Nha Trang City, a person on Facebook asked us to transfer money to hold the room for 60 minutes. When we asked the consultant which department, we were immediately insulted and blocked by this person.

Request the authorities to intervene

Recently, tourist BTH booked a room on a fake Facebook page of Diamond Bay Hotel for 12.5 million VND. When he arrived to check in, H. realized he had been scammed. This customer was upset and reported the incident to the police of Loc Tho ward, Nha Trang city.

According to Mr. Luong Hoang Thien, Director of Melissa Nha Trang Hotel, at least 9 tourists in his hotel system alone have been scammed out of more than 12 million VND. "We really hope that the authorities will intervene to deal with these scammers, causing discredit to the local tourism industry and affecting the reputation of businesses," Mr. Thien said.

In addition to this case, the Department of Tourism also transferred information related to the subject with the account "Thảo Cherry" to the Khanh Hoa Provincial Police after people reported it via the hotline. In August 2024, the account "Thảo Cherry" frequently posted articles related to hotels and resorts, and enthusiastically advised when people asked. After receiving money, this subject blocked calls and messages from tourists. Many cases were scammed out of tens of millions of dong because they trusted "Thảo Cherry".

Through verification by the authorities, “Thảo Cherry” resides in Ninh Hoa town but has registered temporary residence in Ho Chi Minh City. The Ninh Hoa town police investigation agency instructed the victim to submit a complaint to the Ho Chi Minh City police for further processing.

Faced with this situation, Khanh Hoa Department of Tourism has sent an "urgent" document to the Provincial Police, departments, branches and businesses to propagate and warn against fraudulent acts and property appropriation by impersonators. The Department of Tourism found that these are systematic tricks and acts, occurring many times with many different individuals. These subjects have committed fraudulent acts, taking advantage of customers' trust with the purpose of appropriating property, affecting the image of Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa tourism.

Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa) is one of the provincial cities with the largest number of accommodation establishments in the country. Photo: KY NAM

Ms. Nguyen Thi Le Thanh, Director of the Department of Tourism, said that agencies, units and businesses in the area need to raise their vigilance against fraudulent methods and tricks. Customers and tourists when booking rooms need to confirm information before transferring money to anyone to avoid becoming victims. Any customers who have been harmed need to promptly report and provide information to the authorities for support and handling of related subjects.

The Department of Information and Communications of Khanh Hoa province also said that it has just issued a document requesting press agencies and units in the propaganda system to raise people's vigilance, to avoid being scammed or having their property stolen related to tourism services.

Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa Tourism Association acknowledged that fake social networking sites have affected the business situation of hotels. Sales channels from social networks have decreased sharply. Many hotels have posted warnings and are very worried about the source of guests during the peak tourist season such as the upcoming New Year and Traditional New Year.

Beware of cheap room rental ads

The Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department of Da Nang City Police has just announced that recently, a number of hotels and resorts in Da Nang have been impersonated by subjects through Facebook pages to scam and appropriate room rental deposits.

Many customers who booked rooms through Facebook impersonating resorts and hotels in Da Nang have been scammed out of 30%-50% of their deposits. The Department of Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention in Da Nang recommends that residents and tourists be vigilant when receiving advertisements for rooms at very cheap prices, especially when the subject asks for a deposit to hold the room. When discovering a scam, immediately report it to the nearest police station.

B. Van

Source: https://nld.com.vn/mao-danh-hang-loat-khach-san-de-lua-dao-1962409262049091.htm