Scammers use fake social media accounts of luxury hotels to swindle money

[snoop1130]

 

A luxury hotel nestled within the picturesque landscapes of Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, became the unsuspecting target of a cunning hotel scam that left more than 40 victims in its wake. Fraudsters hatched a plan by creating a fake social media account for the esteemed MYS Khao Yai Hotel, deceiving unsuspecting guests and luring them into booking with the imposter instead of the genuine hotel.

 

One such victim, Chantana Mander, shared her harrowing experience with Channel 3, recounting how she had made a reservation for the MYS Khao Yai Hotel through Facebook. Trusting the fake page, she proceeded to transfer 14,100 baht as payment to an individual named Baiela. However, upon her arrival at the hotel, her name was nowhere to be found on the booking list, leaving her feeling frustrated and bewildered.

 

In an attempt to prove her payment, Chantana displayed her money transfer receipt to the hotel staff, only to discover that the bank account in question had no association with the hotel. Realizing the deception, the hotel staff accompanied her to the Moo Sri Police Station to file a complaint. To her dismay, another couple, also duped by the same hotel scam, arrived at the police station to do the same.

 

The unfortunate couple, hailing from Nakhon Sawan province in northern Thailand, had journeyed to Nakhon Ratchasima for a relaxing vacation. Deciding to extend their stay, they searched for accommodation online and unwittingly stumbled upon the fake Facebook page of MYS Khao Yai. What made matters worse was that the counterfeit page managed to appear at the top of search results, outshining the authentic one. The fraudsters had invested in Facebook advertisements and post boosts, garnering numerous followers and reactions to create a façade of credibility. The couple, like Chantana, transferred their payment, but this time to a different individual named Anake.

 

By Petch Petpailin

Caption: Photo via Channel 3

 

Full Story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/scammers-use-fake-social-media-accounts-of-luxury-hotels-to-swindle-money

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-07-24

 

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[michaelgoulden]

Facebook........would you really book it? I think I would do a few more searches.

[flyingtlger]

If it's too good to be true....

[RichardColeman]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

What made matters worse was that the counterfeit page managed to appear at the top of search results, outshining the authentic one.

Is actually about time that social media companies were held responsible for posting fake links too

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, michaelgoulden said:

Facebook........would you really book it? I think I would do a few more searches.

I deleted FB years ago... never had a problem since.

[Tropicalevo]

Fakebook should be banned.

They do not accept responsibility for anything.

It is only about the money.

[Bangkok Barry]

I would never buy anything from a Facebook ad. I did once, the product was fake and PayPal got me a refund. FB has absolutely no interest in what people advertise on their site. Basically, it is out of control in so many areas as it is too big to monitor effectively. That goes for any social media site. Use them carefully and at your own risk.