How to Avoid Hotel Booking Scams & Fraudulent Listings

After meticulously planning a much-needed holiday, you’ve finally made it through your last day of work and set your out-of-office reply. You’ve packed, taken your plane, train, or car, and have just arrived at your hotel, ready to be in full-blown vacation mode. You step up to the check-in counter, but they can’t find your reservation. “How could this be?” you think to yourself. You know you booked this hotel through a new hotel booking platform. 

Few things can ruin a trip more quickly than realizing that the hotel didn’t receive your booking, but that you’ve also been scammed by the platform you used to reserve your room. 

But you wouldn’t be alone—hotel booking scams and fraudulent listings are increasingly common. Some might be phishing sites pretending to be the hotel, while others lure you in with low prices to book non-existent rooms. 

Keep reading to learn what scams to look for and how to avoid being scammed when booking your hotel to ensure your vacation goes as smoothly as possible. 

Common Hotel Booking Scams to Watch Out For

In this highly digitalized world, travel booking is more accessible than ever. It’s easier than ever to book niche tours and discover hidden gems, but this also means there are even more opportunities for scammers to take advantage of excited travelers. Be aware of these common hotel booking scams and signs to prevent your vacation from being ruined by stolen money or fake rooms. 

Fake booking websites

There are dozens of third-party travel booking platforms, which are commonly used to book flights, hotels, rental cars, and other travel services. 

If you opt to reserve your room on a third-party site instead of booking directly with the hotel, choose a trusted, well-known platform. If you’re curious about a platform but have never heard of it and it’s offering a significantly lower rate, consider skipping it in favor of another platform. These sketchy third-party sites can collect your personal information, charge your card, and fail to complete the hotel reservation, leaving you without a room upon arrival.

Here are some red flags to watch out for:

• Suspiciously low prices compared to other websites

• Slightly misspelled name of a well-known booking site, such as “trripadvisor.com”

• Unsecure payment methods 

• Lack of reviews 

• Unusual payment requests 

• The host offers a discount if booked off the platform

Fake travel agents

Fake travel agents will pose as legitimate agencies wanting to help book your travel. Do your research, read reviews, and look out for these red flags to help you pick a legitimate online travel agency to book your hotel. 

Here are some red flags to watch out for:

• Demanding upfront payment

• Vague details on travel 

• Lack of credentials 

• Unusual payment methods, such as Zelle, Coinbase, cryptocurrency, or another platform

• Deals that appear too good to be true 

• No reviews 

Phishing websites

You might think you’re taking the safe route by booking directly with the hotel rather than a third-party website. Look carefully. Some websites do a fantastic job of mimicking hotel websites and will take your money, leaving you stranded without a legitimate booking. 

Phishing has particularly experienced a rise since the launch of large language models like ChatGPT, which has made mimicking emails and websites far easier than before. 

Here are some red flags to watch out for:

• Information inconsistent with the hotel website

• Lacks specific information, such as the hotel address or phone number 

• Poor website quality, such as unprofessional design

• Unusual payment requests

What to Do If You Find Yourself Caught in a Hotel Scam

Although a fake hotel room booking can throw a wrench into your vacation, it doesn’t have to be the end of the world. 

Here are a few steps to take to protect yourself, your information, and your bank account to minimize the damage. 

Collect documentation 

To report your scam, you’ll need some information to support your case. Collect details from the original listing, including a link to the website, specific room, and cost. Save screenshots if you are able to, including your communications and payment receipts. 

Create a timeline of events, including communication with the scammer, time of booking, and payment. This will help build your case. 

Contact your credit card company 

After you collect your documentation, contact your credit card company. Most major credit cards, especially travel-related cards, including Chase Sapphire Reserve, Capital One Venture X, and The Platinum Card from American Express, offer protection against fraudulent charges. 

Some allow you to report it directly on the app, while other companies require you to call and report the fraudulent charges. With some simple documentation to prove your case, you should be able to have the fraudulent charges removed. 

Protect your information

If you’ve booked a fake room, the scammers may be using your information in other ways. Change your bank passwords, freeze your credit and debit cards, and request a new credit card. 

It’s difficult to know the extent to which your information has been compromised, and it is better to take a few precautionary measures to be on the safe side. 

Report the scam to the necessary parties

To help others avoid falling into the same scam, it’s helpful to report the scammer to the necessary parties once you’ve taken care of the other logistics. 

Report to the hotel where you attempted to book so they can flag it for prospective customers. You can also leave a public review if the third-party booking site offers that.  

Depending on the location of the hotel, you may report it to local authorities or the government. Call the local police or search for local consumer protection groups, such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States, and submit a complaint. 

How to Avoid and Stay Safe From Hotel Scams

How do you know if a hotel site or a third-party booking site is legitimate? Following a few simple steps can help you avoid scams and have a stress-free trip. 

Book your hotel directly

The simplest way to avoid a hotel scam? Book your room directly with the hotel. It’s tempting to be lured in by potential deals and discounts through third-party booking sites and travel agents, but not all of them are legitimate. 

By booking directly with the hotel, you eliminate the middleman and can rest easy knowing that the room you booked is genuine and that your credit card information hasn’t been compromised. Ensure you book through the hotel’s official website, as some similar-looking websites exist that may not be the actual platform for the hotel. 

DirectBooker is developing technology to make direct booking safer and more transparent. Its upcoming AI integrations will allow travelers to compare verified hotels, confirm authenticity, and connect directly with the property through conversational platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini, reducing the risk of scams while preserving the benefits of booking direct.

Book with a reputable agent or third-party platform

If you choose to book with an agent or third-party platform, opt for a reputable one. Expedia, Kayak, Agoda, and Hotels.com are among the well-used and legitimate travel booking platforms. 

When you use a search engine such as Google or Skyscanner, you’ll notice options from various third-party platforms that offer suspiciously low nightly rates. It might be tempting to go for that ridiculously low price, but think twice before you do. Some third-party platforms list rooms that don’t exist, don’t work with the hotel at all, or may steal your credit card information. Even if they are legitimate, some of these lesser-known booking sites are notorious for poor customer service if you need to make changes or have any special requests. 

Research businesses you’re unfamiliar with 

If you come across an unfamiliar online travel agency or third-party booking platform, it doesn’t mean they’re not legitimate. 

Before you decide to book with them, conduct some research. Look for details like public reviews and a professional-looking website that verifies their legitimacy. If the website has those details, compare listings with those on other sites. Do the photos match up with photos used for the same property elsewhere? Thoroughly checking these boxes will help you book free from worry. 

Avoid clicking and booking through online ads

If you use a third-party travel platform to search for hotels for your upcoming vacation, there’s a good chance ads will pop up promoting deals. Stick with your original window and website and don’t click on those ads. There’s a good chance they are phishing sites trying to attract people to book through their website, which runs the risk of booking a fake listing or having your credit card information stolen. 

Use secure payment methods

An important step to keep yourself and your information secure when booking hotels online is to pay through secure methods. Legitimate websites will use payment methods like credit cards or PayPal, and have systems that keep your information secure and often require verification through 3D Secure. Avoid paying with Zelle or Venmo, and consider adding a two-step verification on your card to protect your information from being hacked. 

Book with a credit card instead of a debit card

While you can book a hotel with a debit card instead of a credit card, there are a few advantages to booking with a credit card, including protection against fraud. Credit card companies typically offer another layer of protection that debit cards don’t. 

The funds won’t come directly from your bank account, so it’s your credit, not your money, that’s used. It is more straightforward to report a fraudulent charge to your credit card company and dispute the charge. You also aren’t running the risk of having your checking account compromised, which your debit card offers access to.

Take your time and review your booking carefully

Even if you’ve chosen to book directly with the hotel, there’s a chance you could still be scammed. Sometimes, fraudulent websites can mimic the hotel’s real website. 

Review the website carefully, checking for details such as the address, phone number, and URL name. If you are still unsure, try finding the hotel’s social media accounts. If they have a verified account, check the URL they list in their About or Bio section on their social media profiles to ensure it matches the site you’re about to book on.

Staying Safe When Booking Your Hotel

Protect yourself and your vacation by carefully researching and checking the booking platform to ensure that you don’t fall into the trap of a fraudulent hotel booking.  The most reliable way to avoid scams is to book directly with the hotel or use tools that connect you straight to verified listings.

DirectBooker is bringing this safety-first approach into conversational AI. By surfacing verified hotel data and direct booking links within platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini, it aims to help travelers compare legitimate hotels and book securely with the property itself, all in one trusted, conversation-based experience.

Sources

American Hotel & Lodging Association. “New Research Reveals Online Hotel Booking Scams Are on the Rise, Duping Consumers, Translating to Nearly $4 Billion Each Year.” American Hotel & Lodging Association, 14 June 2017, www.ahla.com/news/new-research-reveals-online-hotel-booking-scams-are-rise-duping-consumers-translating-nearly-4. 

Gerken, Tom. “Booking.com Warns of Up to 900% Increase in Travel Scams.” BBC News, 20 June 2024, www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8003dd8jzeo. 

Holzhauer, Brett. “Why Paying with a Credit Card Is Safer Than Debit or Cash.” CNBC Select, April 22, 2025, www.cnbc.com/select/why-paying-with-credit-card-safer-than-debit-cash. 

Alicia Erickson

Alicia Erickson is a travel writer and content strategist with bylines in BBC Travel, National Geographic, Condé Nast Traveler, Fodor’s, and World Nomads. With a background in international development and a decade of experience as a digital nomad, she specializes in mindful, experiential travel across lesser-known destinations.

Our editorial process: DirectBooker curates insights from global hospitality experts and our network of industry insiders. Articles undergo rigorous fact-checking and quality review before publication, ensuring authentic, actionable advice for savvy travelers.