Fraud Alert: Fake Message Regarding Hotel Booking

[FFbtm1974]

I just received a WhatsApp message from a company calling itself “The Plough-Harborne Limited” stating that my reservation at Zing Resort & Spa in Pattaya had been placed on hold because “guest identity validation has not yet been successfully completed,” and it included a link requesting that I re-enter my credit card information. After contacting the hotel, I confirmed that the message was fraudulent. But the accuracy of the personal details included (my name, phone number, arrival and departure dates, and booking code) suggests that there has been a data breach involving my reservation at this particular hotel.

[spoon]

Did u make the reservation directly with the hotel? Or using third party app/website?

[FFbtm1974]

44 minutes ago, spoon said:

Did u make the reservation directly with the hotel? Or using third party app/website?

Hotels.com, with which I have never had similar problems. 

[vinapu]

3 hours ago, FFbtm1974 said:

I just received a WhatsApp message from a company calling itself “The Plough-Harborne Limited” stating that my reservation at Zing Resort & Spa in Pattaya had been placed on hold because “guest identity validation has not yet been successfully completed,” and it included a link requesting that I re-enter my credit card information. After contacting the hotel, I confirmed that the message was fraudulent. But the accuracy of the personal details included (my name, phone number, arrival and departure dates, and booking code) suggests that there has been a data breach involving my reservation at this particular hotel.

good that you stay alert, link requesting re-entering credit card info is tell-it-all but i guess many would fell into that trap

[Olddaddy]

After using a certain "gay"🏳️‍🌈 hotel in Bangkok I noticed my 💳 was used for uber eats in the UK a few days later 

Lucky my bank refunded my money but I had to fill out application forms etc it was a hassle , they made it difficult as I had to print out the application form and fax it in etc 

 

[Olddaddy]

I usually use Agoda for my hotel bookings ,the hotel websites are more expensive I find 

Look I know it's got nothing to do with your original post but I thought I would add that .

 

[Keithambrose]

I had this issue with Booking.com, and a hotel in Rome. I got a message, all details correct, including hotel email, apparently from the hotel, asking for advance payment.  The booking was pay on arrival, so I wasn't going to pay, and contacted the hotel. It was indeed a data breach affecting a number  of hotels. They were very apologetic,  but as I hadn't paid, no problems. 

[FFbtm1974]

41 minutes ago, Olddaddy said:

I usually use Agoda for my hotel bookings ,the hotel websites are more expensive I find 

Look I know it's got nothing to do with your original post but I thought I would add that .

 

I consistently triple check the hotel rate at hotels.com, Agoda and Google Maps. 

[Olddaddy]

38 minutes ago, FFbtm1974 said:

I consistently triple check the hotel rate at hotels.com, Agoda and Google Maps. 

Yes , the thing is ,and don't quote me ,but if you use the same app they usually give you some reward benefits,whether it's true or not is another thing as Agoda have made me  a VIP member but the rates seem the same .

I had to send letters and emails to Agoda a few times to complain ✍️✍️

[daydreamer]

1 hour ago, FFbtm1974 said:

I consistently triple check the hotel rate at hotels.com, Agoda and Google Maps. 

You might add Trivago to that list.  Trivago is a hotel meta-search engine.  They check dozens of booking sites (worldwide), and present you with the best prices.  If booking directly with the hotel is cheaper than the booking agencies, Trivago will show that.  Google Maps is good, but Trivago specializes in hotel bookings, at the lowest price - it's all they do.

In some cases for example, a room referred to Booking.com through Trivago by a click-through link will be less expensive than going directly to Booking.com (or Agoda, or Hotels.com, etc)

I was just checking Trivago for a few days on Koh Samet, and the room prices vary widely between different booking sites, for the same room.

[vinapu]

1 hour ago, daydreamer said:

 

I was just checking Trivago for a few days on Koh Samet, and the room prices vary widely between different booking sites, for the same room.

I'd say 'for the same kind of room"

on my recent trip I booked room on Agoda in certain Phu Quoc hotel . Few days later my friend upon learning I will be there, booked on Trip.com the same kind of room in the same hotel for about 10$ (1/4) less. I felt jealous but only  up to day of checking in. I received room on 7th floor with the sea view, my friend got identical room on the 1st floor with view of wall of neighboring building. Mystery of price difference was solved 

[floridarob]

2 hours ago, daydreamer said:

I was just checking Trivago for a few days on Koh Samet, and the room prices vary widely between different booking sites, for the same room.

This Gemini AI explanation is better than listening to me:

 

Even though Expedia Group owns Trivago, the platform functions as a "metasearch engine," meaning it is designed to scan hundreds of different booking sites (including competitors like Booking.com and Agoda) to find the best available price. 

Trivago +1

The reason you often see lower prices from sites like Agoda or Booking.com—even on a site owned by Expedia—comes down to how these companies compete: 

 

1. Different Business Models

• Merchant vs. Agency: Some sites, particularly Agoda, often use a "Merchant Model," where they buy room blocks in bulk from hotels at a steep discount and then resell them to you at a lower price than other sites can offer.
• Commission Structures: Other sites use an "Agency Model" (like Booking.com), where the hotel sets the price and the site takes a commission. If one site agrees to take a lower commission for a specific promotion, they can show a lower final price. 
  Reddit +3

 

2. "Hidden" and Dynamic Pricing

• Mobile-Only Deals: Booking.com and Agoda frequently offer "mobile-only" prices that are 10% or more lower than their desktop versions to encourage app usage. Trivago’s algorithm may pick up these specific rates.
• Taxes and Fees: Some sites, notably Agoda and occasionally Hotels.com, have been known to show a lower "initial" price on Trivago that doesn't include taxes or resort fees until you reach the final checkout page. 
  Reddit +4

 

3. Algorithm and Ad Bidding

• CPC (Cost-Per-Click): Booking sites pay Trivago a fee every time someone clicks their deal. A site might bid higher to get their "low price" featured more prominently as a "Top Deal," even if another site has a similar or slightly lower price hidden further down.
• Inventory Clearing: Hotels often release unsold rooms to specific platforms at a discount to ensure they aren't left with empty beds. Agoda or Booking.com might have secured an "exclusive" for that specific hotel on that specific date. 
  Reddit +5

 

4. Legal Scrutiny of "Best Price"

Trivago has faced legal action in some countries (notably Australia) for misleading consumers into believing the "top" recommended deal was the absolute cheapest. Courts found that their algorithm sometimes prioritized sites that paid Trivago higher fees over the actual lowest price. This is why you may sometimes see a lower price listed below the main "Recommended" green button.

[floridarob]

20 minutes ago, vinapu said:

I felt jealous but only  up to day of checking in. I received room on 7th floor with the sea view, my friend got identical room on the 1st floor with view of wall of neighboring building. Mystery of price difference was solved 

Could happen the other way around too.... room allocation depends a lot on the front desk when they block or check in rooms. When you buy a room from one of the OTA sites, look somewhere in the fine print, it should say that bed and room types are not guaranteed. They buy ROH, run of the house rooms... so you could end up anywhere. But a good front desk manager or agent that blocks rooms, will give the best rooms to "their" guests, then will look at the rates you paid and assign accordingly and others just hand them out as you arrive and what's available at the moment.

When you can book with the hotel directly, you should. Because then YOU are their customer, otherwise, Agoda or Booking.com is their customer and you are Agoda or Bookings customer. Most chain hotels will only give you your "status" benefits when booked directly with them, you might find a manager or a hotel that will honor your benefits, but they're not obligated to.

Hotels in Asia are weird, they seem to prefer that people book online and put their own rates too high, I don't get that strategy.... not when so many use the internet. Chris at The Venue, will usually give the same or better rate than what the online sites are giving as does Classroom Suites when you book directly with them and some food credits, that logic  I understand because they get their money right away from you and pay no commission.

[PeterRS]

1 minute ago, floridarob said:

When you can book with the hotel directly, you should. Because then YOU are their customer, otherwise, Agoda or Booking.com is their customer and you are Agoda or Bookings customer. Most chain hotels will only give you your "status" benefits when booked directly with them, you might find a manager or a hotel that will honor your benefits, but they're not obligated to.

Having been a regular traveller for decades, I totally agree. I have used agoda, expedia and perhaps a couple of others and found they were basically fine. But the older I have got the more fussy I am about my room and its location - not on the first few floors and definitely not near a lift lobby, for example. Now I am only a member of one hotel chain but it consistently lives up to its promises.

On my recent visit to Taipei, though, I found the price for my usual chain hotel had risen quite considerably. Having once enjoyed a very pleasant stay at a Japanese chain hotel in Tokyo (the one overlooking Kabukicho with a huge godzilla character overlooking the street), I decided to try their one in Taipei a couple of weeks ago. Excellent room, superb breakfast and very welcoming staff, plus only 100 meters or so from a subway station. It is essentially part of a chain and so I suppose I now belong to two, although the Japanese one does not have many hotels yet outside Japan.

[Moses]

While spending last month in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, I found what the lowest prices I have at Trip.com with payment in CNY. Sometimes they are 25-30% lower than Booking.com or Agoda in USD and 10-15% lower in CNY, and they are 50-70% lower than prices of hotels rack rates.

Example: double King deluxe with sea view in Mercure (Accor) in Vung Tau (VN) has rack rate USD250, while Booking offers it for USD190, but I got it for USD110 via Trip.com. Note: prices are for Chinese New year festival time.

[PeterRS]

23 minutes ago, Moses said:

While spending last month in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, I found what the lowest prices I have at Trip.com with payment in CNY. Sometimes they are 25-30% lower than Booking.com or Agoda in USD and 10-15% lower in CNY, and they are 50-70% lower than prices of hotels rack rates.

Example: double King deluxe with sea view in Mercure (Accor) in Vung Tau (VN) has rack rate USD250, while Booking offers it for USD190, but I got it for USD110 via Trip.com. Note: prices are for Chinese New year festival time.

Presumably you set your payment currency as CNY

[Moses]

3 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

Presumably you set your payment currency as CNY

It's correct. Payment was from bank account nominated in CNY with conversion from CNY to VND.

[Keithambrose]

9 hours ago, FFbtm1974 said:

I consistently triple check the hotel rate at hotels.com, Agoda and Google Maps. 

I often find that hotel is same  price, or slightly  cheaper.  Also you get your loyalty points if you book direct, or in the case of a hotel in Nottingham,  a £10 voucher towards drinks!

[BjornAgain]

Always do my research on the Apps or websites, however place the actual booking with the establishment. That way I find you'll get a more preferred room or service. Plus if you have to escalate an issue,  you're dealing with the horses mouth.

If I can't book direct due to status, ie first time stay, then make sure to get the e-mail / phone number for any future visits.

So when staying at The Venue in JC, you'll get a 100THB drinks voucher when paying by cash.

'Every little helps.'

[Olddaddy]

2 hours ago, BjornAgain said:

when staying at The Venue in JC,

 🤍 👍

I really enjoy the shows at the venue and would go twice a night !!!!!!!👯‍♀️👯‍♀️👯 Or even three ,

oh mind your own business and enjoy what a brilliant entertainment , 

  🙏🙏

One may say God save the Queen but nothing will save   the old ABBA songs 🎵🎵,ring ring ring why don't you give me a call🎵🎵

 

 

[NIrishGuy]

Aside from the pricing issues above everyone should be aware and take care now when using hotels and hotel booking sites re such scams as they are unfortunately becoming an everyday experience and have been so for quite a few years now, myself having experienced it several times already too.

Booking.com and the likes state clearly that its the hotels email that has been hacked in some form of phishing attack from a fraudster sending an innocent looking email to the hotel which is then followed up by an infected attachment, which when opened at the hotel gives the fraudsters access to ALL their emails and booking info, making it easy for them them to send out a secondary email to all new bookings ( from a spoofed hotel email address) quoting all necessary info and booking reference numbers to make us THINK it's real but ultimately then them asking us to send money under some false pretense.

Booking.com etc say there's nothing they can do as it's not their system being compromised ( personally I'm not so sure about that sometimes too!) but they advise that we only communicate with the hotel withIN their portal "chat window" and NOT be separate email etc and once you move away from their platform they'll wash their hands of any damages claim you may try to make later.

Below is just one other random example of this happening, but there are thousands of examples on line and it's a scam that's becoming very common now. - so always be on our guard when asked for anything such as money or copies of passport info etc.   I should add too that ( annoyingly) there are times when hotels DO genuinely need you to reconfirm your ID / booking info with them and I've experienced that and each time I've just contacting booking.com directly ( good luck with that !) to double check that's been required first, but that usually never requires any actual money or credit card details to be sent so that can be the red flag to watch out for perhaps.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq6zr59m49vo

[daydreamer]

I agree that it's best to book directly with the hotel, but in Thailand, often it is not possible.  

I usually stay at Thai owned hotels, or smaller foreign owned hotels, such as East Suites or Copa Hotel in Pattaya.  For the small western owned hotels in Thailand, I book directly.  

I recently stayed in Thai hotels in Chiang Rai, Phrae, and in Chiang Mai two times.  In each of those hotels, booking directly was not an option.  I also stayed in Bangkok two times recently in a Thai owned hotel, and for that hotel I booked directly with the hotel.  

In Thailand I don't stay at the large western or Thai hotel chains, so loyalty points are meaningless to me.