Email from Booking led to a scam: Israelis arriving in Greece left without accommodation
Anat from central Israel and her friends fell victim to a financial scam after searching for accommodation on Booking and being referred to the owner's email. The "property manager" instructed her to make a bank transfer of 1,540 euros. Upon arrival in Rhodes, the group discovered that a local family lived at the address and they were left with nowhere to stay in 40-degree heat.
Anat from central Israel planned a vacation with friends in Rhodes, Greece, for six adults, but a WhatsApp correspondence with someone who introduced herself as the property manager led to a financial scam. After she made a bank transfer and received confirmation of payment, the group arrived at the address only to discover that a family actually lived there.
"At first we thought it was just a misunderstanding, but very quickly we realized we had fallen for a scam," Anat told N12.
The incident began when Anat was looking for accommodation on the Booking website. After the property owner did not confirm the request within 24 hours, Booking sent her a message with the owner's email address and suggested she contact him directly. She contacted him by email, and he instructed her to reach out to the property manager via WhatsApp.
"A woman answered me, or so I thought, very, very kind," Anat said. In the conversation, she claimed that they do not work with Booking but only with TripAdvisor, and sent a link including all the details. When Anat encountered difficulties making the payment, the woman instructed her to make a SWIFT bank transfer. "She sent me an invoice from TripAdvisor and the details for the payment," Anat described.
Two days after the transfer, the woman confirmed that the money had been received and added: "We are waiting for you." Anat did not suspect anything throughout the process, even buying a gift for the manager. However, when they arrived at the address in Rhodes, they found the house locked. A neighbor explained that a family lived there, and the real owner later confirmed that this was the third time that month that guests had been scammed.
While they were wandering in 40-degree heat, a local woman helped them find a hostel in the city center. "We paid 1,540 euros; I didn't suspect for a moment, everything seemed reliable — especially the fact that we received the email through Booking. In hindsight, there were checks we should have done, so it is important for us to warn others," Anat concluded.
