Travel / phishingSMSWhatsAppEmail
Fake hotel 'booking pending verification' texts and WhatsApp
Last updated
Also known as: Hotel reservation phishing text, Pending verification hotel scam
What it looks like
A text, WhatsApp message, or email claiming your hotel booking is "pending verification" and asking you to click a link to provide requested information. The hotel name and stay dates are often correct. In at least one reported case, the link's domain had been registered only a day earlier. Singapore Police report 148 cases since January 2026 with at least S$185K lost, mostly via WhatsApp, with messages that promise nothing will be charged.
Who it targets
People with upcoming hotel reservations.
Red flags
- Unexpected 'pending verification' or card-confirm request by text/WhatsApp/email
- Correct hotel name and dates paired with a strange link
- Domain registered very recently
- Promise that nothing will be charged while asking for card details
What to do if you clicked, paid, or replied
- Do not click links or reply
- Contact the hotel using the original confirmation email or the official hotel website — not contacts from the message
- Never enter bank or card details from an unsolicited booking message
- If you entered payment info, tell your bank and report the scam
Still circulating?
Active pattern in late 2026; Singapore Police advisory October 9, 2026 notes a surge since January.
Related sources
Educational summary only. Verify details on the source page. Report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or ic3.gov.