Previous All Posts Next

Fake Hotel Booking Scams: How to Protect Yourself

Posted: August 23, 2018 to Tips & Tricks.

Tags: Malware, Data Breach, Compliance

Online hotel bookings happen every day.  More and more consumers are utilizing the web to reserve their hotel accommodations.   But what if you arrived, only to find you had no reservation despite the charge to your card? Travel fraud is on the rise, with recent estimates as high as 25% of consumers being scammed.  Cybercriminals are pocketing more than $1.3 billion in fake reservations, and their tactics only getting better.  Some of the scam sites are using as many as 50 domain names similar enough to the real hotel name that the average consumer wouldn’t notice the difference at first glance.  So what can you do to make sure your temporary oasis is legit?  Here’s five things you can do to minimize your risk of booking a fake hotel.
  1. Double check the website’s URL.  Make sure you are on the actual hotel website and not a third party vendor using the hotel identity.  Does the search bar have a small lock sign?  The URL should always start with https://.  No “s” means the site in unsecured and is a huge flashing sign to book elsewhere.
  2. Call the hotel directly and confirm the booking.  This will also enable you to relay any special requests such as wheelchair accessibility and verify any additional fees you may incur.
  3. Look out for marketing designed to make you rush and book immediately.  “Book now!” “Only two rooms left!”  Even legitimate third party vendors do not have access to complete hotel inventories.
  4. Use your credit card, not your debit card.  If the site is phony, you can protest the charges to your card.  It also eliminates the risk of the cybercriminal gaining access to your entire bank account.
  5. Be cautious if anyone contacts you unsolicited and states they are from the hotel.  Particularly if they tell you there was a problem processing your payment, requests for credit card information or offers for a better deal.  It’s worth hanging up and contacting the hotel directly.
On the flip side, if you own a hotel business your company is under just as much of a threat as your clients.  Phishing attacks and email scams affect 76% of organizations and some of these cybercriminals actually copy your complete website! Contact Petronella Computer for an IT Security Risk Assessment and Security Awareness Training.

Related Resources

Learn more about how Petronella Technology Group can help:

Need help implementing these strategies? Our cybersecurity experts can assess your environment and build a tailored plan.
Get Free Assessment
Explore Our Services
Cybersecurity AI Services Compliance HIPAA CMMC Managed IT

Related Articles

IT Firefighting: Why 75% of Time Is Wasted IT Firefighting: Why 75% of Time Is Wasted Zero Trust 2025: Step-by-Step for Hybrid Cloud, Remote Work & Legacy Systems Zero Trust 2025: Step-by-Step for Hybrid Cloud, Remote Work & Legacy Systems How to Prevent Ransomware: 12 Defenses That Work How to Prevent Ransomware: 12 Defenses That Work YubiKey on iPhone & iPad: Complete iOS Setup Guide [2026] YubiKey on iPhone & iPad: Complete iOS Setup Guide [2026]

About the Author

Craig Petronella, CEO and Founder of Petronella Technology Group
CEO, Founder & AI Architect, Petronella Technology Group

Craig Petronella founded Petronella Technology Group in 2002 and has spent more than 30 years working at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, compliance, and digital forensics. He holds the CMMC Registered Practitioner credential (RP-1372) issued by the Cyber AB, is an NC Licensed Digital Forensics Examiner (License #604180-DFE), and completed MIT Professional Education programs in AI, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity. Craig also holds CompTIA Security+, CCNA, and Hyperledger certifications.

He is an Amazon #1 Best-Selling Author of 15+ books on cybersecurity and compliance, host of the Encrypted Ambition podcast (95+ episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon), and a cybersecurity keynote speaker with 200+ engagements at conferences, law firms, and corporate boardrooms. Craig serves as Contributing Editor for Cybersecurity at NC Triangle Attorney at Law Magazine and is a guest lecturer at NCCU School of Law. He has served as a digital forensics expert witness in federal and state court cases involving cybercrime, cryptocurrency fraud, SIM-swap attacks, and data breaches.

Under his leadership, Petronella Technology Group has served 2,500+ clients, maintained a zero-breach record among compliant clients, earned a BBB A+ rating every year since 2003, and been featured as a cybersecurity authority on CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and WRAL. The company leverages SOC 2 Type II certified platforms and specializes in AI implementation, managed cybersecurity, CMMC/HIPAA/SOC 2 compliance, and digital forensics for businesses across the United States.

CMMC-RP NC Licensed DFE MIT Certified CompTIA Security+ Expert Witness 15+ Books
Related Service
Keep Your Business Secure

Our cybersecurity experts can help you implement these best practices across your organization.

Get a Free Security Assessment
Previous All Posts Next
Free cybersecurity consultation available Schedule Now