Unauthorized Charges at a German Hotel and the Booking.com Payment Scam
I paid for my hotel reservation in Germany on September 21, 2023, during check-in. Later, I received an email and a link from the hotel through Booking.com, as you can see in the pictures. This made me nervous, so I went to the hotel manager.
The hotel manager said they had received the same. To verify, I tried clicking on the link. I entered my card details, but 297 euros were deducted, and the transaction was not completed. The next day, I noticed an additional charge of 5.40 euros.
I went back to the hotel manager, who then called Booking.com. The contact person on the phone said that this message was sent by the hotel, and that was true. But the hotel manager said they did not send this message. The person on the phone told me that my account might have been hacked and recommended changing my password.
The hotel manager couldn't understand how this could be possible. I stated that I am the victim. The contact person said they would create a report. I confirmed my customer number but mentioned that I am currently using a Turkish number and requested them to inform me through that.
They said they would get back to me, but despite several messages, I have received no response. I will have to block my card, and when I return to Germany, I will likely have to take legal action!
Hello, to the friends reading my comment, I want to say this: After a long effort, I was able to get my money back. Unfortunately, the Turkish customer representatives I called from Turkey couldn't do anything within a short period. When I returned to Germany, I called again about a week later, and they asked me for documents. I provided them with what I had, and within a month, they transferred my money down to the last cent to my bank. I realized that I need to be very careful in the future. They also stated that their emails always end with @booking.com and advised me not to trust other emails. Best regards.
It's a nice platform; I will continue to share my progress as much as I can. Thank you...
