The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) says the hospitality industry is experiencing a growing number of fraudulent activities, including online hotel room booking frauds and targeted smear campaigns on social media. These activities have led to financial loss and reputational damage to the affected hospitality establishments, and have raised concerns among industry leaders and customers alike.
HRAWI Takes Action
The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) has taken note of these concerns and plans to take up the issue with the relevant government authorities and law enforcement agencies. HRAWI also intends to engage with online platforms that allow malicious activities to occur on their platforms, with the aim of enforcing stronger regulations on content posted online.
HRAWI’s President, Mr. Pradeep Shetty, has highlighted the severity of the situation and urged customers to exercise caution while making online bookings, especially on suspicious websites. He also emphasized the need for strong regulations to protect commercial enterprises from social media influencers who misuse their following to tarnish honest establishments.
Recent Cases of Fraudulent Activities
Cybercriminals have targeted several establishments by creating fake hotel and restaurant booking websites that appear authentic on popular search engines. They then dupe unsuspecting customers into making payments for room bookings. Additionally, some social media influencers have created fake videos and posted fake reviews in a bid to attract more views and followers, tarnishing the reputation of genuine establishments.
Two recent cases have highlighted the severity of this issue. In the first case, cybercriminals posted phone numbers on the Google websites of The UniContinental, Hotel Samrat, and Hotel Singhs International in Khar, tricking customers into believing that they were the hotel. The fraudsters sweet-talked customers and asked for a 50% deposit for room bookings, cheating them out of their money. Despite complaints to Google, it took 48 hours to remove the pictures, during which time the fraudster posted more pictures.
In the second case, pictures of random hotels and hotel rooms with different mobile numbers superimposed on those photos were published on Hotel Amigo’s Google Maps account. A Delhi-based company, B2B Hospitality, sent an email to the hotel claiming to have deposited Rs.9200/- into IDFCFirst account for hotel room reservations. The payment receipt indicated Hotel Amigo as the beneficiary, even though the hotel did not have an account with IDFCFirst. The hotel filed an FIR and posted a message on the fraudulent photos to prevent further cheating.
HRAWI has condemned these malicious activities and urged customers to be vigilant when making online bookings. Customers should only book through authentic websites and social media pages of hotels and restaurants and report any suspicious activity to the concerned authorities. HRAWI is committed to promoting and protecting the interests of the hospitality industry and will continue to work towards creating a safe and secure environment for customers and businesses alike.
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