Hotel Booking Refund and Cancellation Call Scam by SMS

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

On SMS the scammer has only a few lines to work with, so they use a deadline, a threat or a prize and a link that must be tapped "now". 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 SMS

• Several near-identical messages arriving together from different senders.
• A sender name that resembles a bank, courier, tax or utility, or an ordinary mobile number.
• A very short message with a deadline such as "today" or "within 24 hours".

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 text message

• 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.
• It tells you to install an app from a link instead of the official store.
• The link domain is not the one you type yourself for that organisation.

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. Do not reply, do not tap the link and do not call the number in the message.
5. Open the official app or type the official website yourself to see if there is any real notice.
6. Paste the text into a scam checker (Safeavio Sentinel can check it) before you do anything else.

You can report suspicious SMS and calls on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) of the Department of Telecommunications.

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, email.

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