Meghalaya Hotel Scam Targets TouristsMeghalaya Hotel Scam Targets Tourists [Insert town/city], Meghalaya: As tourism flourishes in Meghalaya, a sinister trend has emerged: tourists falling prey to hotel booking scams. Fraudsters exploit hotel room images from legitimate websites and post their own contact details on unverified platforms. Pretending to represent hotels, they lure unsuspecting tourists with discounted rates for luxury accommodations. “They’re using spoof apps for digital transactions, making victims believe they’ve paid when they haven’t,” said Parambir Singh Sehdave, President of the Federation of Shillong Hotels. Upon arrival, tourists discover their bookings are non-existent. Sehdave emphasizes the importance of booking through reputable websites to avoid scams. The prevalence of these scams is widespread, affecting virtually every hotel in the state. “Scammers often use spoof apps and trick victims into believing they’ve made payments,” Sehdave adds. Tourists are urged to verify booking websites and remain vigilant to protect themselves from fraud.
Tourists arriving in Meghalaya fall victim to a new scam REPRESENTATIVE
With the rise in tourism in Meghalaya, there has been a disturbing phenomenon of tourists being scammed in the guise of hotel bookings. Scores of visitors have fallen victim to fraudsters while trying to secure accommodations in the state.
Parambir Singh Sehdave, President of Federation of Shillong Hotels, shared insights with The Shillong Times on the tactics used by these scammers. They misuse hotel room photos from various legitimate websites and post their own phone numbers on unverified sites. Posing as hotel representatives, these scammers lure unsuspecting tourists by offering expensive rooms at significantly lower prices.
Upon arrival, the affected tourists discover that no such bookings exist at the hotels. Sehdave stressed that booking through reputable and verified websites can prevent such scams.
The prevalence of these scams in Meghalaya is substantial, with many incidents going unreported. Virtually every hotel in the state has been affected in some way.
Scammers often use spoof apps for digital transactions to trick victims into believing that payments have been made, when in reality no money has been transferred. These spoof apps are easily available on the market, which further complicates the problem.
Tourists are advised to be careful and check the authenticity of booking websites to avoid falling victim to these scams.
