Experts have warned about new schemes of deception of tourists

With the beginning of the tourist season, not only the number of trips increases, but also the activity of fraudsters using fake websites and fake accommodation booking ads. On May 13, Izvestia was told about the most common deception schemes and protection methods in the online hotel and apartment booking service Ostrovok.

According to the company, one of the most common schemes remains fake ads for daily rental housing on marketplaces and ad sites. Users are transferred to messengers, and then a link is sent to a fake website that visually resembles a popular booking service. After entering the bank card details, the money is debited, but the reservation is not made.

Another common scheme is phishing emails disguised as official service notifications. In such messages, users are offered discounts or special offers when clicking on the link.

"The key sign of forgery is the sender's address: phishing sites differ from the official domain, sometimes by only one letter or character," the experts noted.

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In addition, attackers often offer to pay for housing off the platform, promising a lower price. It is noted that such proposals may indicate an attempt at fraud.

For a secure booking, experts recommend using only trusted services with a good reputation. The company noted that the accommodation facilities undergo mandatory verification before publication, including verification of the owners' documents and video verification of housing.

Experts recommend paying special attention to checking the website address before entering personal data. Even a slight difference in the URL may indicate a phishing resource. When booking from a phone, it is recommended to use only official applications. All search, payment, and booking operations should be performed exclusively within the app.

Users are also advised to carefully check the email senders' addresses and avoid clicking on suspicious links. The company does not recommend sending bank card data and scanned documents via e-mail.

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"Official notifications come exclusively from the company's domain. <...> If the email seems suspicious, it should be deleted. It is not recommended to follow links from such messages," the company said.

Experts recommend conducting financial transactions, including payments and prepayment, only inside the platform or the official application. Messengers can only be used to clarify the details of the check-in or to transfer information on an existing reservation, the experts concluded.

Anton Nemkin, a member of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy and federal coordinator of the Digital Russia project of the United Russia Party, said on May 1 that the State Duma had reported on the most common fraud schemes. These included calls about a "secure account," investment scams, and fake online sales.