The peak tourist season is witnessing a boom in trips, but it is also the time when online scams become more sophisticated than ever. As millions of people rush to book tours, airline tickets and hotels via social networks, the Department of Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention (A05) has immediately issued an urgent warning. This is a necessary wake-up call to prevent tourists from becoming victims of increasingly cunning scams.
A05's warning clearly states that scammers are cleverly impersonating reputable travel agencies, hotels, and resorts to appropriate assets via social networks. According to records from the authorities, some subjects have been very skillful in impersonating travel agencies, hotels, or even reputable resorts to launch "dream" tour programs or booking services at irresistible prices.
The warning was issued in the middle of the peak tourist season, when many people are looking to book tours, airline tickets and hotels via social networks - also the time when fraud and scams are becoming more and more sophisticated.
However, the unusual sign is that most of these accounts are newly created or renamed in a short time. This is a tactic to hide the history of activities and increase initial reliability.
Especially during the peak summer months, when the demand for tourism skyrockets, this is the golden time for these scams to explode strongly. Their tricks are increasingly diverse and unpredictable. One example is buying or hiring a blue tick service for Facebook accounts to build trust, then naming the page almost identical to the names of famous tourist areas or hotels to deceive users' eyes.
Fraudsters take advantage of tourists' gullibility to commit fraud.
Fraudsters also spend a lot of money on advertising, posting information about tour packages or attractive promotions at very reasonable prices, even close to the prices of legitimate units, making it difficult for tourists to be suspicious. Once they have lured their prey, they will ask customers to deposit an amount of money from 30% to 50% of the service value, then provide fake booking codes or airline tickets and urge them to pay the remaining amount. Immediately after receiving the money, these scammers will immediately block all communication or disappear without a trace, leaving the victims with financial loss and disappointment.
Tourists need to be careful in every step to have a complete travel experience.
One thing to note is that to increase the persuasiveness, many scam accounts also copy images and content from official websites or fanpages of travel businesses. This makes it extremely difficult to distinguish between real and fake if users are not really careful and do not check carefully from many different sources of information.
To protect yourself from unnecessary risks, experts and authorities recommend that tourists always maintain vigilance. First of all, carefully check the transparency of advertising accounts, paying special attention to newly created accounts, recently renamed accounts or accounts with unclear activity history. It is extremely important to compare information on multiple channels: visit the official website of the business, contact the hotel or airline hotline directly, or refer to reputable booking platforms such as Booking.com, Agoda, Traveloka.
Travel is for enjoyment, don't lose money and get upset because of a moment of carelessness.
If you have already transferred the deposit, do not hesitate to call the service provider directly to confirm the booking code or ticket code. A golden rule is to absolutely not transfer money via personal account and only make a deposit when there is a clear and transparent contract. In case of unfortunate fraud, report it immediately to the nearest police station for timely support.
Traveling is inherently about enjoying beautiful experiences, exploring and relaxing. Don't let a moment of subjectivity ruin both your joy and your property. In the context of increasingly sophisticated and unpredictable scams, vigilance is the first and most important "safety ticket" for all your journeys.
