Got a message from your hotel? Check it here
Imagine it's the evening before your trip. "The front desk" says your card was declined: send €342 to a new IBAN by 9 PM or lose the room, and your real booking number is right there. Paste a message like that below. We'll mark every line that matches a known scam move and tell you what to do.
The check runs on this page, in your browser. Nothing you paste is sent or stored.
Why careful people still fall for it
Three things happen at once, and each one on its own would stop you:
- Your real details are in it. Many scam messages carry your name, check-in date and hotel name, copied from a booking account the scammer has broken into. That passes the usual "does this look fake?" test.
- There's a clock. "By 9 PM." "Before midnight." A deadline compresses your thinking. The pause you'd normally use to open the booking app - that's exactly what pressure is designed to remove.
- You're already in transit. Packing, running late, phone in hand. Your attention is split. Scammers pick this moment deliberately.
None of that means you were careless. It means the attack was built for careful people.
What the checker looks for
Hotel scams need the same handful of things from you. The checker looks for six of them. Here's what each one sounds like in a real message, and why it matters.
A deadline you never agreed to
BKG-Support"Please confirm within 2 hours or the room will be released."
Your booking has its own terms, written on the booking page. A message that invents a new clock wants you to act before you open the app where the truth is. Do this: ignore the clock and check the reservation in the app you used.
Payment that skips the booking site
Hotel billing"Send the balance by bank transfer to the account below." · "Scan the QR code to pay."
Money paid on the booking site can be tracked and refunded. A transfer, QR code, wallet address or gift card can't. Do this: only pay on the booking site's checkout or at the front desk.
Your card, a code or your ID by message
Hotel staff"Reply with the 6-digit code we sent you." · "Send a photo of your passport."
A one-time code is how someone gets into your accounts. An ID photo is how they open new ones. Do this: never share them in a chat. Show ID in person at check-in.
"Let's move to WhatsApp"
BKG-Support"Our app chat is down. Message us on WhatsApp instead."
Inside the booking app there's a record, and the platform can step in. Outside it, you're on your own. Do this: reply only inside the app, and report the message there.
A link or address you didn't ask for
Unknown"Update your details at hotel-guest-verify.com" · "bit.ly/room-pay"
Look-alike addresses and short links hide where you'll land. Do this: don't tap. Open your booking app or type the hotel's real address yourself.
A surprise reward or refund
Guest rewards"Congratulations, you've been selected for a free upgrade. Just pay a $1 processing fee."
Good news you didn't expect always ends with a payment or a code. Do this: if it's real, it will appear in your booking without you paying anything by message.
Watch the WhatsApp trick in seven seconds
Real message vs. scam message
Hotels do contact guests before arrival. Here's how to tell one from the other at a glance:
Scam signals
- Deadline you never agreed to
- Payment outside the booking site
- Link or address you didn't ask for
- Asks for a code or ID photo
- Unexpected gift or refund
- Asks you to move to WhatsApp
Normal hotel messages
- Check-in time or early check-in offer
- Confirmation of what you booked
- Parking, shuttle or directions info
- Wi-Fi details sent on arrival day
- Room upgrade (no payment needed)
- Feedback request after your stay
What a checker can't tell you
It reads words, not intentions. A clever scam can avoid every pattern, and a clumsy real hotel can trip one. Treat a clean result as "no obvious red flags", not as a green light.
The one test that never fails: if a message asks for money or details, find the same request in your booking app or confirm it by calling the hotel on the number from its own website. If you can't find it there, it isn't real.
If you already clicked or paid
If it happened, move fast. These steps are in the order that limits the damage:
- Gave card details: call your card's number now, block the card and dispute the charge. Don't wait to see if a charge appears.
- Sent a bank transfer: call your bank today and ask them to recall the payment. Speed matters - the window is short.
- Shared a code or password: change that account's password immediately and turn on two-step sign-in.
- Not sure your booking still stands: open it in the booking app. If it's there and confirmed, it's fine. If not, contact the hotel directly on the number from its own website.
- Report the message inside the booking app so the account behind it gets locked and can't reach other guests.
Questions people ask
A hotel I booked on a big booking site messaged me on WhatsApp. Is that normal?
Hotels sometimes send a friendly WhatsApp before arrival. The warning sign is what comes next: a link, a payment or a request for card details. Real hotels keep payments on the booking site or at the desk.
Is it safe to pay the hotel directly by bank transfer?
Bank transfers sent to a scammer can't be recalled easily. Pay on the booking site's own checkout or in person at check-in. If the hotel asks for a direct transfer before you arrive, confirm it by calling the hotel on the number from its own website.
Can a hotel take money from my card without asking?
Yes, within its stated policy: many hotels place a hold for incidentals at check-in, or charge a non-refundable rate you agreed to. That happens in person or on the booking page, never through a link in a message.
What should I do with a scam message?
Don't reply. Report it inside the booking app, then delete it. If it named a real hotel, a short call to that hotel helps them warn other guests.
Keep practising, then book where the price is on the page
Ten quick messages, a different mix every round: take the scam-or-real quiz. When you're ready to book, Rates by Room shows the nightly rate read from the booking partner for 2359 hotels in 91 cities, and you pay on the partner's own checkout.
We earn a commission from the partner when a booking completes. It doesn't change your price.