Holiday accommodation website Owners Direct has urged property owners and customers to be vigilant about the growing problem of online fraud known as ‘phishing’.
The company issued the advice after being alerted by advertisers about a spate of suspicious-looking email enquiries.
The enquiries were from similar email addresses, with no dates specified and asking odd questions like ‘Loud music allowed?’ or asking for a December 25 arrival date.
A follow-up email asked property owners to click on an attachment to see the customer’s booking details.
This would then allow the scammers to access sensitive information that could be used to obtain funds.
Owners Direct said it was continuing to develop technology platforms to protect its customers.
"We urge owners to look carefully at each enquiry they receive in order to assess whether it is genuine," it said.
"It’s important to consider the email address, the phrasing, language, spelling mistakes and peculiar content. We also advise owners that some spam enquiries may not raise concerns and may look genuine. Therefore it’s essential to remain vigilant throughout the enquiry engagement process.”
The statement added that spammers tend to target more established brands and services ‘as we saw in the news this week with a well-known online travel booking website’.
Accommodation agent Booking.com has also been targeting by fraudsters and has recently paid out compensation to around 10,000 customers who were affected by an online phishing scam.
The Netherlands-based company refused to reveal the total amount it had paid but said everyone, in the UK, US, France, Italy and Portugal, had been refunded.
Victims were tricked into handing over money to the fraudsters who had managed to obtain details of their reservations.
The company said it has improved its technology to help protect its customers from the online crime.
The British Hospitality Association warned customers to be ‘extremely cautious’ when they book online and said they should call the hotel or accommodation direct if they are suspicious about any payment demands.
