At least $185k lost to scams involving hotels since January; 148 cases reported
At least 148 cases of phishing scams involving hotels and hotel booking platforms have been reported since January this year, with total losses amounting to at least $185,000, the police said on Friday (Oct 9) night. They warned that victims of this scam variant would usually receive messages, mostly through WhatsApp or emails, prompting them to verify their card details or confirm their upcoming accommodation bookings. Victims would be instructed to secure their bookings, under assurance that no funds would be deducted. They would then provide their bank card information and subsequently authorise the transactions.In some cases, the messages contained legitimate booking details which added credibility to the scam. They would only realise that they have been scammed after unauthorised transactions are made to their bank cards, and upon checking in with the hotel directly.Members of the public can safeguard against scams by using the ACT (Add, Check, Tell) framework, which involves adding the ScamShield app and setting security features.