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Safety & Scams

Steps checked against official help pages. Last checked: Nov 2, 2026

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Is This Hotel or Travel Booking Message a Scam?

What this helps with: Spotting fake messages about a hotel, rental, or trip you really booked, like “Your payment failed” or “Confirm your card or we’ll cancel,” and booking travel safely.

The short answer: Don’t tap the link and don’t share your card number. Look at your original booking confirmation. Then check your trip yourself in the booking app or website, or call the hotel at a number you look up. Never pay by gift card, wire transfer, payment app, or crypto to “save” a booking.

Many people travel for Thanksgiving and the holidays. Scammers know it. AARP warned on Oct 29, 2026, about “reservation hijack” scams. Criminals break into a hotel or booking system. Then they send messages that use your real name, hotel, and dates. They say your payment didn’t go through. Because the details are right, the message looks real. It isn’t.

Warning signs of a fake booking message

  • It says your payment failed or your card needs to be “verified.” Booking.com says it will never ask for your card details by email, phone, text, or WhatsApp.
  • It rushes you. “Pay within 24 hours or your room will be canceled.” Booking.com calls this a red flag.
  • It asks you to pay in a new way. For example, a bank transfer, gift cards, a payment app, or crypto. The FTC says only scammers insist on these.
  • It asks you to pay something that isn’t in your confirmation. Booking.com says not to send any payment that isn’t in the property’s payment policy.
  • It wants to move the chat somewhere else, like WhatsApp or a regular text. Airbnb says hosts must not ask you to pay or talk outside Airbnb before you book.
  • It has a link to a different website. It may look just like the real one.

What to do if you get one

  1. Stop. Don’t tap the link, and don’t reply.
    • What you’ll tap: Nothing in the message for now.
  2. Find your original confirmation. Look in your email for the message you got when you first booked. Check what it says about paying. If you already paid, or it says you pay at the hotel, a new request is a warning sign.
  3. Check your trip yourself. Open the booking app you already have, or type the website address yourself. Sign in and look at your reservation. If there’s a real problem, it will show there.
  4. Or call the hotel. Look up the number on the hotel’s own website or in your confirmation. Don’t use a number from the new message.
  5. Never give your card number in a text, email, or chat. And never pay with a gift card, wire transfer, payment app, or crypto to keep a room.
  6. Report it, then delete it.
    • Booking site or app: tell its customer service, using the app or the website you typed in.
    • Fake email: forward it to reportphishing@apwg.org.
    • Fake text: forward it to 7726 (the number spells “SPAM”).

If you already gave your card or paid

Act fast. It’s not your fault. These messages use real details on purpose.

  1. Call your bank or card company using the number on the back of your card. Say it was a scam. Ask them to stop the charge and send a new card. See How Do I Pay Safely When I Shop Online? for how to dispute a charge.
  2. Tell the booking company through its app or the website you typed in. Booking.com says to contact its customer service right away if you clicked a link or shared details.
  3. Change your password for the booking account and turn on two-step login.
  4. Paid with a gift card, wire, or crypto? Call that company right away and ask for your money back. See gift card scams.
  5. Shared your Social Security number or other private details? Go to IdentityTheft.gov for a step-by-step plan.

Booking a trip safely

  • Type the website yourself, or use the app you already have. The FTC warns that some search ads lead to fake sites or phone numbers that only look like a hotel or airline. Scroll past the “Sponsored” results.
  • Read the payment rules before you book. Check when you pay and how much. Then you’ll know if a later request doesn’t match.
  • Keep the chat and payment in the app. Booking.com and Airbnb both say to message and pay through their own app or site.
  • Too cheap to be true? A super low price on a fancy place can be a sign of a fake listing, the FTC says.
  • Pay with a credit card when you can. It gives you the most protection if something goes wrong.

Where to report it

  • Any travel scam: Tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
  • Free help talking it through: Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360. You don’t need to be an AARP member.

Want more ways to spot a fake? See our guides to spotting a scam, fake shopping websites, and fake party invitations.

Official sources

Last checked: Nov 2, 2026

This is general help, not personalized tech support, and not legal or financial advice. If you think you’ve lost money, contact your bank and the official sources above.

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