No matter where in the world your wanderlust (or career) may take you, one of the best things about traveling is staying in a hotel. There are so many beautiful hotels around the world with great service, amazing amenities, and striking architecture – and we’ve written about many of them. Even so, hotels can be a breeding ground for thieves and scammers. Here are the four top worldwide hotel scams:
Fake Menus
Great! A local pizzeria slipped their flier under your hotel room door, now you won’t have to look any further for dinner. False. You’re about to hand over your name and credit card info to an identity thief posing as a pizzeria. This run of the mill scam is so popular, it’s even seen at Disney World of all places. If you want some low-key food to order in, ask the hotel for a recommendation instead. Before ordering anything, always check with the front desk to see if these are legitimate restaurants, or use Google to find local restaurants, and pay in cash. Never use your credit card over the phone.
The Room Inspectors
Two people usually dressed up as hotel employees will knock on your door, saying they need to do a routine check of your room/smoke detector/etc. If you let them in, one will engage you in conversation to distract you while the other steals your valuables. Hotels never do room inspections while the guest is in the room. So, if this happens to you know it’s most likely a scam. Call the main desk and tell them what’s going on. This scam is very popular in Spain.
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.
Don’t Drink the Water
This scam happens a lot overseas. If you go to a hotel, usually in a third world country, you may see various signs around the hotel that say, “do not drink water” or “water not safe for consumption” and other things along those lines. When you go to the front desk to ask about the water, they’ll say that the water in the hotel isn’t safe, but they have fresh bottled water you can buy (at an obscene price). Or you might have bottled water already in your room upon arrival. When you check out of the hotel, you’ll see extra charges on your bill for the water. This is when your research comes in. In cases like this, the hotel is usually trying to scam you by making you buy their bottled water even though the water in your room is fine. Research to see if the city and country you’re in has safe drinking water or not. If it doesn’t, you’re still better off buying your own water locally than buying the hotel’s water.
Hotels can be one of the best parts about traveling, but always remember that scams can happen. Make sure to thoroughly research the country you’re visiting, and the hotel you’re staying at. Read hotel reviews to see what other people have experienced. If there’s ever a problem or a concern, don’t be afraid to go to the front desk.
Can we book a hotel in advance, but we will pay it in cash once we arrived? Is that possible?
One year my auto insurance had a horrendous rate hike for no apparent reason. Found out about the rate hike at renewal time, had a few days to call and shop around for new insurance.
Had no idea who these people were, theyre just voices on the phone, but they demand personal information.
Going through rounds and rounds of routine questions and answers to get quotes.
This guy seemed to be no different.
Your name ? Provided.
Phone ? Provided.
Address ? Provided.
Age ? Provided.
Cars ? Provided.
VIN numbers ? Provided.
Drivers License ? Provided.
Social Security # ? ???!!!
I froze. “You don’t need that!” and I hung up.
Why would the hotels allowed people to slip something in our hotel rooms? I bet the hotel staffs know the scam.
Well, yeah I agree with you. It’s weird that they are allowing this.
My wife got scammed in Asia. She was with her friends, and she used her CC in a restaurant. When she went back, she was charged for $2000!
Why would you give your credit card information? Book online on a legitimate page!
What about charging you for a safe that you do not use? I told them to take it out because I was not going to pay for something that I didnt ask for and wasnt going to use. They did credit me the charges for the safe.
You can always bring your own water, it is for your safety as well.
I always bring my own water and buy outside the hotel because it is cheaper.
I stayed at a hotel in Reno, Nv. and it had one of the little refrigerators in it that had a paper tape across the door. I opened it to see what was inside and then closed it. Later I received my bill on corporate rates and it had a charge for a drink from the refrigerator. I contested the bill and the hotel said as the seal was broken, I was responsible for what was taken. 😐
Wow! About the water, I thought they are being nice to us, but it’s a trap.
When my girlfriend, and I are on a vacation, I always ensure that we are using our credit cards in the safe zone. I lost 1 grand before because of my stupidity.