Be careful when canceling your vacation: they're impersonating official booking sites to steal your money.

During the summer holidays , travel-related scams increase significantly, as cybercriminals take advantage of the situation to launch scams that spoof hotel customer service or booking sites . One of the most common scams involves tricking users when they try to cancel a hotel reservation by directing them to fraudulent websites that mimic official ones.

The National Cybersecurity Institute ( INCIBE ) reports one of the latest cases to occur.

This is how they try to trick you into cancelling your holiday reservation.

A user contacted a fake booking site to cancel a stay related to a business trip. When he called the number provided, the person on the phone asked him to download an app on his phone and send a photo of his ID . The moment the victim installed the app, the criminals began taking control of his phone .

Once they were able to access the victim's mobile phone, they accessed their bank accounts and requested their card details . However, when they saw that they were trying to charge them €1,500 , the user quickly turned off their phone to stop the process and prevent the theft. It's important to remember that thanks to artificial intelligence , cybercriminals are able to create fake websites that closely mimic official ones, even simulating customer service representatives.

INCIBE emphasizes that if you believe you've been scammed in this way, you should act quickly and call your bank to block the suspicious transactions . You should also delete the app they forced you to install, change all your passwords , and even activate two-factor authentication for added security. And if you sent a photo of your ID , it's best to request a new one and file a theft report in case someone commits an act in your name.

They claim that in the last year alone, more than 2,100 cases of attempted cancellations have been recorded , with this being one of the most reported scams, along with fake emails such as those impersonating booking platforms, computer viruses ( malware ), and unauthorized access.

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