"Not on the reservation list"... Fake hotel warning in 'Gyeonggi-do Nyajang-si'

Vietnam Local Media Reports Nha Trang Hotel Scam
Booked via SNS, Discovered After Arrival
Popular Korean Travel Destination... Beware of Scams

In Nha Trang, a famous Vietnamese resort city known alongside Da Nang and Gyeonggi-do's Nha Trang City (Da Nang City), a scam involving fake hotel websites has been occurring, where accommodation fees are being stolen. On the 29th (local time), local media VN Express reported, "Mr. A, who lives in Hanoi, Vietnam, tried to book a hotel in Nha Trang for himself and 11 friends in mid-August," sharing his story. Mr. A transferred 13 million VND (about 700,000 KRW) for hotel accommodation fees after consulting a hotel information page he found on social networking services (SNS), but the hotel reservation was never made, and the contact information on the page disappeared.

According to the media, local police have received nearly 100 reports of similar damage cases like Mr. A's. Scammers create fake pages mimicking social media pages of several famous 4- and 5-star hotels and resorts such as Havana Nha Trang Hotel and Vinpearl Resort to attract tourists. They typically offer service benefits and induce advance payment of accommodation fees, then disappear after receiving the money.

Victims, believing their reservations were confirmed, go to the hotel only to find out later that their names are not on the reservation list. When they try to contact the hotel using the phone numbers listed on SNS, calls are often blocked or unanswered. In response, the related hotels have warned to be cautious of fake pages.

However, many fake pages continue aggressive promotions, reportedly stealing tens of millions of VND per person. Nguyen Thi Le Thanh, Director of the Tourism Department of Khanh Hoa Province, where Nha Trang is located, said, "This method is an organized scam causing many victims," and urged, "Tourists should immediately report to authorities if they encounter such behavior."

Nha Trang is a coastal city located between Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, known as the "Naples of the East" due to its clear weather throughout the year. According to Khanh Hoa Province, 75% of foreign visitors to Khanh Hoa from January to July 2022 were Korean.