Scammers are going after hotel chains, putting at risk the personal information of Eurovision fans who have booked accommodations in Liverpool, UK, for the song contest in May.
Compromised Internal Systems
Booking.com admitted to BBC News that certain lodging partners had been targeted by phishing emails. It was stated that some companies have unintentionally infiltrated their own internal systems by clicking on links included in these emails.
"[We have] actively been supporting our partners, as well as any potentially impacted customers ... to make security and data protection a top priority," Booking.com stated.
In response to cyber intrusions, the travel business immediately froze a number of accounts that had been impacted. However, Booking.com still denied any kind of data security compromise.
A Close Call
Some Eurovision enthusiasts emailed the BBC's podcast Eurovisioncast to share stories of their near-falls for scams involving hotel reservations for the May song contest.
With the help of the travel site, Marc Deruelle was able to find a four-bedroom flat in Liverpool for what he deemed a quite good price for a group of friends' trip there.
A person posing as a receptionist contacted him on WhatsApp in early February, asking first if he needed parking. The person then stated there was a problem with his payment, with a similar issue showing up on his Booking.com account.
"I thought this must be OK," he told the news outlet. "I got a text message from my bank and I had a phone call from them and they said someone was trying to scam me out of my money."
Around £800 (over $900) was going to be wired to Uganda, but the transfer was halted.
Deruelle said that ruined the experience for him, and now he does not want to attend the May event since scammers have all his information and will know he is not at home at the time of the contest.
When Marc called his lodging provider, the company confirmed that it had also received reports consistent with his story.
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Quick Word of Advice
More than 700 companies are represented by UKHospitality, which advises clients to contact hotels directly rather than use a third-party booking site if they have any issues.
A hotel's chief executive officer, Kate Nicholls, has said that guests very seldom get WhatsApp messages from establishments.
The scope of such phishing attacks is thought to go well beyond Eurovision and the city of Liverpool, according to BBC News.
To reiterate, Booking.com has never asked for a credit card over the phone, over text message, or via email for a legitimate purchase.
