Travel

4 Scary Hotel Scams

How to avoid getting conned by these common scams, while at your hotel.

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4 Scary Hotel Scams

Don’t give info over the phone, go down to the front desk

Credit Card Issues?

Another scary way to get your credit card information stolen is this common scenario; you give your CC info to the front desk to apply any room charges to, as always. Later, you get a call from the concierge asking to confirm your credit card info over the phone (a huge no-no), as there was a problem when they entered it. In reality, you’ve been contacted by someone who called the front desk and asked for a room number that happened to be yours, and they’re pretending to be the front desk to get your information and steal your identity. There’s no way to tell that the call is coming from outside the hotel, because the perpetrator puts on a professional front. To avoid this disaster, tell them you’ll come downstairs to confirm it in person. Then go down or call the front desk directly to make sure it’s legit. You may be half asleep and not in the mood, but it’s better than having your identity stolen.

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Avatar of Sarah Woodstock

Sarah enlightens us on a daily basis with the newest trends as (and often before) they transpire. She is the consummate globe trotter. Having traveled to over 70 countries, she earns her living writing, blogging (InsiderDiva.com) and modeling while on the road. In her spare time she gets manicures, suntans on yachts in Greece, shops for even more shoes, and lives in the limelight. She loves photography, elephants, sailboats, bangles and ballet flats.

Reader Discussion: 134 Comments

  1. Avatar of kristina Ulitka

    Is this for real? Some of it are very obvious that it’s a scam. Anyone who is smart enough will recognize that it’s fake. How many idiots can get scammed with these things? I easily suspect scams whenever it includes CC details. I would never give anyone my CC details especially when traveling. Even the front desk doesn’t even ask these things because they’re safety protocols. Anyway, I just really hope that nobody gets scammed now because this article says it all!

    • Avatar of Dixie Hawall

      Dixie Hawall

      This is for real. Believe it or not, people actually get scammed.

  2. Avatar of Cora Watson

    Cora Watson

    I hate these desperate scammers. Why can’t they just make a proper living instead of leeching on someone else’s money.?

  3. Avatar of Johanna Fletcher

    Johanna Fletcher

    I don’t want to be scammed in a country where I don’t know other people because I’m on a vacation. I would literally not be able to come home if that happens to me.

  4. Avatar of Tasha Daniel

    Tasha Daniel

    Hahah, the hotel bottled water. Always the easiest scam to fall for. The price list is a lie too because it usually comes with a huge service charge.

  5. Avatar of Laura Mendoza

    Laura Mendoza

    I always travel with friends because I can’t be trusted alone. I don’t know, I guess I trust people too easily.?

    • Avatar of Miriam Love

      Miriam Love

      That will seriously be the death of you.

  6. Avatar of Catherine Hogan

    Catherine Hogan

    Bottled waters in hotels really are crazy expensive. I always sneak bottled waters from convenience stores whenever I would travel because I definitely don’t want to spend so much money over bottled water. There was this one time that I accidentally drank the bottled water from the hotel instead of the one that I bought outside and I had to pay x10 of the amount of the actual water bottle. It even has service charge that I don’t know where it came from. I was so pissed!

  7. Avatar of RUTH

    RUTH

    That is really scary. I also don’t think that you should withdraw money in places that look unsafe. There can be credit card scanners in the area. Maybe using money changers are better.

  8. Avatar of Inez Huff

    Inez Huff

    If anyone gets scammed by something like this, it would be their fault. Seriously, be careful. Unless it was a really tricky scam, I don’t think it would be very easy to fall prey to.

  9. Avatar of Colleen Mcbride

    Colleen Mcbride

    You’re supposed to be safety conscious when you travel. Don’t be such an unsuspecting traveler that hopes for the best. Secure your belongings and this includes your card and your cash.?

    • Avatar of Eloise Hines

      Eloise Hines

      Exactly. I don’t trust everything that gets handed to me. I ask a lot of questions and do a lot of verifying. If something seems too good to be true, I disregard it.

  10. Avatar of Judith Estrada

    Judith Estrada

    Geez, of course hotels won’t do inspections of your hotel when you’re checked in. Those are obviously scams. As you can see, most of these scams are because of credit cards, so make sure you avoid using your card wih unecessary purchases that can be easily purchased with cash. While it looks very classy to keep bringing your credit card out, you don’t want to get scammed in a foreigh country and you don’t want to end up being broke because of that.

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