A young man and his friends were left feeling cheated and furious after booking what they believed to be a luxurious hotel on a popular travel reservation website, only to arrive and discover they had been scammed. Despite the website’s promise of spacious living areas, beautiful bedrooms, generous terraces for barbecues, and even a bathtub, the group arrived at an abandoned house in Chiba Prefecture with an overgrown garden covered in weeds. The 19-year-old victim expressed his devastation, stating that he could not forgive the deception.
After realizing he was deceived by a scam, a man shared his experience of arriving at a location that was nothing but fields, a small house, and tall grass. He was shocked and saddened and hoped the address was wrong, but it wasn’t. The man had used Booking.com, a platform connecting accommodations with travelers, to book his stay. However, he noticed peculiar Japanese language descriptions on the fake hotel page and no contact information or possibility of reservations. He was refunded approximately 33,000 yen (USD 223.50) or the accommodation expenses but had incurred around 100,000 yen (USD 677.00) in travel expenses and demanded compensation. The man’s summer vacation was ruined and he hoped for a full refund.
Not only has the incident left the victim devastated, but it has also raised concerns about others who may have fallen victim to a similar scam. Reviews on the website now contain posts warning potential travelers of the fraudulent hotel. In addition, local residents have reported seeing several individuals who were deceived by this fake hotel. These occurrences involving fake hotels emphasize the importance of being cautious, as there have been instances where scammers have made up accommodation listings to steal personal information from unsuspecting customers. It is crucial to remain vigilant when dealing with such matters.
https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/581649
https://topics.smt.docomo.ne.jp/article/fnn/nation/fnn-581649