Beware of scams impersonating travel platforms, $185,000 lost since January: Police
Till date, the total losses from these scams have amounted to at least $185,000.
Travelers are falling victim to convincing phishing messages that appear to contain details of their actual accommodation bookings, including travel dates and destinations. The messages, mostly through WhatsApp or emails, are sent by scammers impersonating hotels or hotel booking platforms. Victims receive instructions to verify their card details or confirm their upcoming accommodations by providing bank card information on a phishing webpage.
As of now, the total losses from these scams since January have reached at least $185,000. A Singaporean man shared on Instagram his experience with a similar scam via WhatsApp, warning others before the post garnered over a million views. Booking.com, the platform targeted in many of these scams, warns customers not to provide credit card details via text, WhatsApp, email, or phone calls.
They also advise checking payment requests through the Booking.com app, directly with the hotel, or contacting their 24/7 customer service team. Booking.com experienced a data leak in April, potentially exposing customers' names, booking details, email addresses, and phone numbers. However, the financial and physical address information was not accessed.
The police advise the public to download the ScamShield app, enable two-factor authentication, check for scam signs, and inform authorities, family, and friends about such incidents. For further information, the public can contact the 24-hour ScamShield Helpline at 1799 or visit www.scamshield.gov.sg.
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Also reported by 1 other outlet
- At least S$185,000 lost to phishing scams involving hotel bookings since January channelnewsasia.com
