Fake Room Reservations Online in Chania
The large number of fake reservations made online is becoming a nightmare for the hotel owners and managers in Crete, as various scams and frauds related to credit cards and cheques have happened so far in the Chania Prefecture.
The interested visitors reserve rooms online and send fake cheques with more money, or reduce the nights of stay and ask for refunds. When hotel owners try to cash the cheques, there is no money in the account.
The director of the Hotel Owners’ Association in Chania noted that so far approximately 10 hotel owners have become victims of such frauds. The vast majority of the fake reservations come from Italy and involve large amounts of money, 2,000-3,000 Euros.
Mr Koukourakis suggests that hotel owners should double check the reservations and the cheques received prior to any financial arrangement and settlement. The Association also published a bulletin mentioning among other things that this phenomenon is becoming quite common lately. He refers to cases of avid tourists who sent cheques that are either fake or feature larger amounts of money than needed.
The association suggests its members to be very cautious and opt for other safer ways of reservations, including the deposit of money in their bank accounts as a guarantee.