If you have made an independent hotel booking in Spain for the coming months beware because there is a new scam and I very nearly got caught. In my case, and according to the hotel I have booked for July on the mainland, I have not been the only guest targeted.
Last week I received a WhatsApp message alerting me to the fact that my booking process had not been completed and that I had 24 hours to comply or I would lose the booking. The initial reaction was panic, I can’t afford to lose the booking made at the start of the year and a new booking now would not only be more expensive but would there be availability?
Anyway, I read through the message and finally got to the rub. The website claimed to be missing my full name and credit card details. Considering I have had a booking confirmation and pin number for months I thought it rather suspicious. Then at the end of the message, the contact number and address was Argentina - the hotel I booked directly with is in Seville.
So I immediately contacted the hotel, explained the message and, fully aware of the scam, warned me to ignore it. My booking was fine and apparently the hotel chain had been hacked just the day before and all of their booked clients had been hit with the same message. The hotel, which was extremely helpful and assuring, said it was a nightmare for them and guests but had the matter under control, the police had been informed and cyber security teams were tackling and resolving the problem.
However, I was also informed that they had not been the only hotel chain hacked over the past few months and with so many residents in Spain soon to start travelling around the country people need to be on their guard. If in doubt contact the hotel and under no means submit any personal information.
How this outfit in Argentina got my mobile phone number beats me, not to mention how they found out which hotel I was staying at and when.
I guess those travelling to Spain on package holidays will not have similar problems as they will be covered by their tour operators. 017 is a free, confidential national helpline provided by INCIBE to assist citizens and businesses with day-to-day cybersecurity issues and incident management. The Spanish digital security ecosystem is rapidly expanding, home to over 1,800 cybersecurity providers, research hubs, and international corporate partnerships (such as Orange Cyberdefense). Major education and workforce initiatives are hosted nationwide to close the digital talent gap, including the annual INCIBE Cybersecurity Summer BootCamp.