The peak tourist season is becoming a "fertile ground" for scammers on social networks, as many gullible people trust Zalo accounts impersonating hotels, only to lose money and find themselves without rooms.
Room booking customers lose money because of strange Zalo news
Recently, the Criminal Police Department of Hai Phong City Police received a complaint from Mr. PNA (residing in Hai Phong ) after he was scammed out of a large amount of money when booking a room in Tam Dao via Zalo. According to Mr. NA, he found a Zalo account named “Hotel…” posting luxurious pictures and introducing a series of “super cheap” promotions. Trusting him, he contacted to book a room and transferred money to hold the reservation.
However, after transferring the money, the subject suddenly reported a “system error”, requested to transfer the money again and provided another Zalo impersonating the “refund department” to guide him to receive the deposit back. With a series of cleverly staged messages, full of transaction images and fake confirmations, Mr. NA continued to transfer money many times as instructed.
It was only when his account ran out of money and all his contacts on Zalo disappeared that he was shocked to realize he had been scammed. The total amount he had transferred has not been disclosed, but according to the authorities, it was “not a small amount”.
Hai Phong City Police said this is one of a series of social media scams that have been on the rise recently. Taking advantage of people's desire for quick and cheap things, especially during peak tourist season, criminals use social media to advertise hotel rooms at unusually low prices, hitting the victims' psychology of hunting for deals.
According to Mr. Vu Ngoc Son, Head of Technology Department (National Cyber Security Association), the common point in tour booking scams is that bad guys take advantage of users' psychology of wanting discounts.
"The subjects do not need to use complex attack techniques, but only need to play on psychology: everyone wants cheap tickets, nice hotel rooms, good service during peak season. From there, they create attractive scenarios using fake fanpages and websites, making users voluntarily fall into the trap," Mr. Son analyzed.
Be alert and check the origin of your account.
To avoid falling into the trap of fraud when booking homestays and hotels online, the Criminal Police Department - Hai Phong City Police recommends that people be vigilant when booking rooms online, carefully research the information of the tourism service provider before booking the service, making payment transactions, tourists only book rooms through official channels, book directly on the website or call the linked phone number of the homestay, hotel; can book through reputable travel companies and reliable booking platforms. At the same time, be wary of pages with very cheap prices and many unusual promotions; Do not make transactions through fanpages of unknown origin; Do not click on strange links, requesting to provide OTP codes...
Faced with the above situation, the Ministry of Public Security warns people to carefully check information on social media accounts that sell or advertise travel combos, hotel rooms, resorts, etc.
Check information posted from various sources: Facebook, Tiktok, Zalo, official websites of businesses, accommodation facilities... as well as the transparency of social media accounts.
One thing that is easy to notice is that most of the fake accounts are newly created or have just been renamed and posted advertisements in a short time. People can easily check this information and should not transact with accounts that show the above signs.
After making a deposit, you need to check the specific information about your booking code. Contact the official phone number of the airline, accommodation, resort, etc. to check your code, check the reputation of the ticket and booking agent before paying the full amount.
Report to the nearest police station if you have been scammed and had your property stolen online.
The Department of Information Security (Ministry of Information and Communications) recommends that people need to be vigilant and cautious against fake Fanpages with information about hotels and tourist accommodations.
Conduct a thorough check and verification of information about the location, facilities of the accommodation as well as the background of the supplier. Absolutely do not transfer a deposit without verifying the reputation of the subject.
People are advised to carefully check the origin of the account and the authenticity of the subject before receiving any information. In case of becoming a victim of a scam, people need to immediately report to the police for timely support and resolution.
Mr. Vu Ngoc Son warned: “Online fraud attacks will continue to rage in 2025. In addition to measures from management agencies, users still need to raise their vigilance and safety skills when participating in cyberspace. Do not share personal information with strangers or untrusted services. Carefully verify any calls or exchanges related to money transfers. Use the nTrust anti-fraud application to filter and block fraudulent phone numbers and malicious websites.”
According to data from the Vietnam Cyber Security Association, last year alone, losses from online fraud in Vietnam reached VND18,900 billion, of which summer alone accounted for 18% of cases, and winter was 28%.
"If you see a promotion that is too attractive, especially during peak season, you need to ask questions. Verify information from multiple sources, do not transfer money via personal accounts, do not click on strange links, carefully check fanpage history and verify website domain name," said Mr. Son.
Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/mat-tien-oan-vi-tin-zalo-la-canh-bao-thu-doan-lua-dao-tinh-vi-mua-du-lich-post2149042101.html
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