Hotel booking frauds are surging, authorities caution
In recent times, the eastern region of Thailand, which oversees eight provinces including Chon Buri, Rayong, Trat, and Chanthaburi – popular beach destinations – has seen a surge in online fraud cases. The majority of these reported cybercrimes in July were related to fake service booking pages, with approximately 17,823 cases (51.5%) involving such fraudulent offers[1].
Pol Lt Gen Yingyod Thepjamnong, the chief of Police Region 2, issued a warning about this increase, highlighting fake hotel booking services as a major concern[2]. One such suspect, named "Aiw," was recently arrested by the police for operating a Facebook page offering hotel rooms and pool villas[5]. "Aiw" was linked to 20 reported cases of online fraud.
These online fraudsters employ various tactics to deceive unsuspecting victims. They post fraudulent promotional offers on social media, requiring immediate payment to secure discounted rates[1]. Once payment is made, these scammers block further contact, leaving victims unable to retrieve their money[1]. They often create fake Facebook pages or fake websites impersonating legitimate hotels or resorts to deceive travelers[4].
Additional common tactics include issuing forged hotel vouchers or tickets, lacking credible online presence or genuine customer reviews, unclear or dodged cancellation and refund policies, and requesting sensitive personal documents prematurely[3]. Scammers also rely on payment methods that are hard to trace or dispute, such as untraceable money transfer apps, rather than secure payment options like credit cards or official bank transfers[3].
To protect themselves from such scams, victims should:
- Always verify bookings directly with the official hotel or authorized booking platforms before making payments[3].
- Confirm details of unknown bank accounts or payment recipients using verification apps or official websites such as Cyber Check or Checkgon in Thailand[1].
- Look for a legitimate and active online presence of the hotel, including credible websites and genuine customer reviews[3].
- Avoid making immediate payments for “too-good-to-be-true” offers without verifying authenticity[1].
- Use secure and traceable payment methods like credit cards that offer consumer protection rather than untraceable transfers[3].
- Be cautious about sharing personal documents like passports until the booking is confirmed and from a trusted source[3].
These steps help ensure travelers avoid falling victim to the rising wave of online hotel booking scams in Thailand’s beach destinations, which have caused significant financial losses recently[1].
In July, a total of 34,570 cybercrime cases were reported to the Royal Thai Police website, with the total damage from these cases amounting to around 162 million baht[6]. The police advise people to be vigilant and to confirm details of unknown bank accounts before making a payment using the app Cyber Check or the website Checkgon.
- As the number of online fraud cases related to false hotel booking services continues to rise in popular beach destinations within the eastern region of Thailand, it is crucial for individuals to exercise caution and follow cybersecurity best practices, such as verifying bookings with official sources and using secure payment methods.
- The police in Thailand have advised the public to use the apps and websites like Cyber Check and Checkgon to confirm the legitimacy of unknown bank accounts before making any payments, in an effort to combat the growing problem of cybercrime and financial losses in the country's technology-driven crime-and-justice landscape.
