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The peak travel season is witnessing a surge in trips, but it's also when online scams become more sophisticated than ever. As millions of people rush to book tours, flights, and hotels via social media, the Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department (A05) has immediately issued an urgent warning. This is a necessary wake-up call to prevent travelers from becoming victims of increasingly cunning scams.
The A05 warning clearly indicates that scammers are cleverly impersonating reputable travel agencies, hotels, and resorts to steal money through social media. According to authorities, some individuals have skillfully impersonated travel companies, hotels, or even renowned resorts to offer "dream" tour packages or booking services at irresistible prices.
The warning comes right in the middle of peak travel season, when many people are looking to book tours, flights, and hotels online – a time when scams and fraud become increasingly sophisticated.
However, the unusual aspect is that most of these accounts were recently created or renamed. This is a tactic to conceal their activity history and increase initial credibility.
Particularly during the peak summer months, when travel demand skyrockets, this is the golden time for these scams to flourish. Their methods are becoming increasingly diverse and unpredictable. For example, they might buy or hire services to obtain verified badges for Facebook accounts to build trust, then name the page almost identically to the names of famous tourist destinations or hotels to deceive users.
Scammers exploit the gullibility of tourists to carry out fraudulent schemes.
Scammers also spend heavily on advertising, posting information about attractive tour packages or promotions at very reasonable prices, even close to those of legitimate agencies, making it difficult for tourists to suspect anything. Once they've lured their victims, they'll ask customers to pay a deposit of 30% to 50% of the service value, then provide fake booking codes or flight ticket codes and urge them to pay the remaining balance. Immediately after receiving the money, these scammers will block all communication or disappear without a trace, leaving victims with financial loss and disappointment.
Tourists need to be careful at every step to have a complete travel experience.
One point worth noting is that, to increase their credibility, many scam accounts even copy images and content verbatim from the official websites or fan pages of travel businesses. This makes distinguishing between genuine and fake accounts extremely difficult unless users are very careful and thoroughly check information from multiple sources.
To protect themselves from unnecessary risks, experts and authorities advise travelers to remain vigilant. First, thoroughly check the transparency of advertising accounts, paying particular attention to newly created accounts, those recently renamed, or those with unclear activity histories. Cross-checking information across multiple channels is crucial: visit the business's official website, contact the hotel or airline directly via hotline, or consult reputable booking platforms such as Booking.com, Agoda, and Traveloka.
Travel is for enjoyment; don't let a moment of carelessness cost you money and cause you frustration.
If you have already transferred a deposit, don't hesitate to call the service provider directly to verify your booking code or ticket code. A golden rule is to never transfer money to personal accounts and only make deposits when there is a clear and transparent contract. In the unfortunate event that you discover any fraudulent activity, report it immediately to the nearest police station for timely assistance.
Travel is inherently about enjoying beautiful experiences, exploring, and relaxing. Don't let a moment of carelessness cost you both your joy and your possessions. In the context of increasingly sophisticated and unpredictable scams, vigilance is the first and most important "safety ticket" for any journey.
