A 32-year-old woman has reported losing more than €2,200 after a person claiming to be an accommodation provider persuaded her to cancel an existing reservation and complete a new booking through a link they supplied.
The case is being investigated by the Financial Crime Investigation Unit of Nicosia CID, while police are urging the public to verify booking-related messages and payment requests.
How the booking was changed
According to the complaint filed with Nicosia CID, the woman booked accommodation through an online platform on 4 August.
She was contacted that same day by an unknown person who claimed to be the accommodation provider. The person offered her a lower price and persuaded her to cancel the original reservation before directing her to another online travel services platform through a link.
Payment made without confirmation
On 11 August, the woman followed the link and transferred more than €2,200 to a bank account provided to her.
When she received no confirmation of the reservation, she realised that she had allegedly been defrauded and reported the matter to police.
Police advice for online bookings
Police have advised anyone receiving a message about an accommodation reservation to:
- Contact the hotel or accommodation provider directly using its official contact details.
- Avoid making payments through links sent by message or email without first verifying their authenticity.
- Contact their bank immediately and cancel their card if they have opened such a link and entered their bank card details.
