Tricks to fake resort and hotel fanpages to scam customers

With a not-so-new trick, the fake Fanpage above used the name "Serena Resort Kim Boi", copied and posted information about resort services from the official fanpage with the purpose of impersonating and confusing to attract interested customers in need.

After sending messages to the fake fanpage, the administrator will impersonate the resort's receptionist, introduce the service, and then send information for the customer to transfer payment to buy room service.

Once the trust of the tourist has been gained, the subject will ask the tourist to transfer a deposit in advance, otherwise the room will not be reserved.

However, immediately after the customer completed the transfer payment, the scammers explained in a roundabout way, then blocked the customer's contact and appropriated the money the customer had paid.

This fanpage does not send booking confirmation to the resort nor book resort services for customers.

From the above-mentioned fraud case, we sent to Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Dao Trung Hieu, a criminology expert, some questions to prevent similar frauds:

- Sir, with increasingly sophisticated and difficult-to-detect impersonation methods, how should customers base their search on to determine that the information they are looking for about a resort, hotel, homestay, etc. is accurate?

- Currently, the fraud methods on social networking platforms are becoming more and more sophisticated and difficult to detect, especially the creation of fake Fanpages with high interaction, even with blue ticks. To accurately identify information, customers need to note the following points:

Check the source of information carefully:

+ Go directly to the official website of the hotel, resort or homestay to verify contact information. Reputable businesses often publish their official website or link on media platforms.

+ Don't just trust Facebook or social media platforms. The official website is the most reliable source.

Compare phone number and contact address:

+ Compare the phone number and email provided by the fanpage with the official information on the resort's website or reputable travel sites.

Check review and feedback history:

+ Official fanpages or accounts often have a long history of reviews and feedback from real customers. Fake pages often have unusual signs such as: unreasonably good reviews, no long-term customer feedback or only recently created reviews.

Beware of requests for immediate payment:

+ Large resorts or hotels often have a clear booking confirmation process via official email. If the fanpage requires immediate transfer or there is no confirmation from the system, customers need to stop the transaction immediately.

- Sir, the practice of creating fake websites of hotels, resorts, homestays, etc. to scam tourists is causing harm to customers and tourism service businesses. So what do you recommend to customers and businesses to prevent them from becoming victims of this form of fraud?

- To prevent fraudulent behavior through fake Fanpages, I would like to give some recommendations to both customers and tourism service businesses.

For customers:

Always verify booking information through multiple sources. Before making payment, customers need to check information from the official website, support center or reputable booking applications such as Agoda, Booking.com.

Do not pay via personal account. Reputable resorts and hotels often use company accounts to receive deposits. If asked to transfer money to a personal account, customers should be cautious.

Keep proof of transactions: Always keep emails, messages and transaction receipts as evidence in case something goes wrong.

For businesses:

Strengthen brand protection online. Businesses need to register for official blue ticks on Facebook and other platforms for customers to easily identify. Regularly review, detect and report fake pages.

Warning and customer guidance: Post warning notices on the website and official fanpage about fraud and instruct customers on how to distinguish between real and fake pages.

Cooperate with authorities: When detecting fake pages, businesses need to immediately report to authorities and Facebook for timely handling.

Raising awareness and vigilance will help customers avoid unnecessary risks, while contributing to protecting the reputation and brand of tourism businesses.

Thank you, doctor!