The management of a Lagos hotel has raised the alarm on how scammers are targeting customers by deceiving them into paying money into a private bank account belonging to the scammers instead of the hotel’s approved bank account for bookings.
This allegation was made by the management of Integrity Hotels & Suites situated at Abagbon close, Victoria Island, Lagos, noting that it uncovered plans by the scammers to swindle money from more of its customers.
Some customers had complained that they were involved in series of unfulfilled hotel room bookings online without getting values after making payments into an individual’s account, who claimed to be the manager of the hotel.
The hotel said it gathered that the scammers offered hotel room bookings on an online platform, but buyers purportedly did not receive their bookings after making payment.
Posing as the hotel managers, the scammers have diverted thousands of money into their bank accounts, a practice they began last year.One of the staff members of the hotel, who preferred to remain anonymous, said:
“We got complaints from customers that they made payment to the bank accounts of some people they contacted through a number displayed on the hotel site.
“They have an online platform and they include their contact number alongside our hotel’s name and address, making unsuspecting customers believe that they are the management of our hotel.
We don’t really know how much has been lost but we have been receiving calls from different customers reporting these scammers.”
He further appealed to the public to disregard or report anyone online posing as a staff of Integrity Hotels & Suites.
Vanguard News Nigeria
