We all like fancy hotel rooms, but spending money? Not so much.
This is why we’re willing to trawl the interweb for hours looking for the cheapest rooms without any insect inhabitants or more lavish accommodation for an affordable price.
Typically, unless we’re Jeff Bezos, we’d have to come to a compromise—spend more, or get a room that isn’t as lush.
So, if you come across a listing for a hotel room that promises luxury for a small price, be very, very sceptical.
Or else, you might end up losing thousands of dollars.
Police Warn of Fake Hotel Booking Scam Online
The police said they have been receiving multiple reports this month over two separate cases of hotel booking scams online.
The unsuspecting victims ended up losing more than S$430,000 in the transactions.
In the first case, the victims came across a man’s advertisement on Carousell for hotel bookings. He provided his WhatsApp number in the listing, which victims contacted, the police said.
The main reason so many fell prey to the scams was the seductively low prices that the scammers offered for rooms at upscale resorts.
In one case, a victim thought they were paying $500 for a three-day, two-night stay at Shangri-la Rasa Sentosa, where rooms typically cost over $500 a night.
Once they specified the room they desired they would be asked to make payment. Some were even told that there would be a “cancellation policy”, where they would get a refund if they had to cancel their booking.
Reassured, the victims made payments through bank transfers or PayNow, but they never got their rooms in the end, because they were never actually booked.
Similarly, in the other case, a woman on social media promised victims similarly attractive deals for rooms in popular hotels around Singapore, but never came through with her promises.
45YO Man & 32YO Woman Arrested
For the first case, officers from the Woodlands Police Division identified the culprit as a 45-year-old man, and arrested him on Wednesday (15 Dec).
Preliminary investigations revealed that the man was allegedly involved in at least 29 similar cases with total reported losses amounting to S$30,000, the police said.
He is expected to be charged today (17 Dec) with cheating offences.
The identity of the woman was uncovered by the Commercial Affairs Department, which arrested her for cheating offences.
She is believed to be involved in more than 300 “non-fulfilments of hotel room package bookings with total reported losses amounting to more than S$400,000”, the police said.
She is currently assisting with investigations.
The police warned the public against making impulsive bookings, and to pay for such bookings only if they are from authorised or reputable sources.
Remember, if something is too good to be true, it probably is.
You can watch these videos to know more about scams in Singapore:
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