Hotel Booking Refund and Cancellation Call Scam by email

How it looks by email, the red flags and what to do.

Email scams copy the logos, colours and wording of real companies, and the sender address often differs from the real one by one letter. Hotel Booking Refund and Cancellation Call Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A caller says your hotel booking failed or is cancelled and sends a link or QR for a refund. See how travellers lose money and how to verify bookings.

What hotel booking refund and cancellation call scam looks like by email

• A login page that opens from the email and asks for your password and OTP.
• A sender address that is almost, but not exactly, the real domain.
• A button that says "Verify account" or "View invoice".

Scammers find travellers through hotel listings that publish contact numbers, leaked booking data or fake customer care numbers placed in search results. They call at check-in time or just after payment and speak with detail about the city and dates. They quote a real amount if they have it, so the call feels like a genuine follow-up from the property.

Red flags to check on the email

• A call or message about a refund that asks for a PIN, OTP or card number.
• A link or QR sent to 're-validate' a booking.
• A new payment requested to 'release' a stuck one.
• A number found in search results instead of the booking app.
• The tone is urgent and the grammar is slightly off.
• Hover over the link: the address does not match the company website.

What to do

1. Hang up and open the booking app or the confirmation email to check the status.
2. Contact the hotel using the number on the confirmation or the app's help section.
3. Never enter a PIN or OTP to receive a refund.
4. Check the full sender address, not just the display name.
5. Report it as phishing in your email app and delete it.
6. If you typed a password on the page, change it at once and turn on two-step verification.

Use Report phishing in your email app. If money or accounts are affected, call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in right away.
2. Tell your bank on the number printed on your card and ask to block the card or UPI.
3. Contact the booking platform's in-app help to confirm your real reservation.
4. Keep the link, the number and payment ids for the police.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio's link check can look at a 're-validation' link before you open it, the QR check shows where a refund QR leads, and the scam check on a pasted message marks the pressure and PIN request. Money Shield reminds you that refunds do not need a PIN. It cannot hear a call or confirm a booking, so check status only in the official app.

Full guide: Hotel Booking Refund and Cancellation Call Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: phone call, WhatsApp, SMS.

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