Tourist loses $40,000 after booking resort rooms through fake Facebook page

A Vietnamese tourist has filed a police report saying she lost over VND1 billion ($39,600) after trying to book rooms at a resort in northern Vietnam through a Facebook fanpage displaying a verified badge.

Hai Phong police on Thursday said the victim had intended to reserve two rooms at the Minawa Kenh Ga Resort & Spa Ninh Binh, and contacted a Facebook page bearing the resort's name.

The person operating the supposed "verified" page repeatedly urged quick payments, citing high demand, the woman said in her report.

She initially agreed to pay a VND6.5 million down payment. However, she was then told the money had been transferred improperly and that the reservation could not be completed. The other party instructed her to include specific numerical codes in subsequent transactions to "verify" the payment and reclaim her initial transfer.

Following these instructions, Tan entered several codes: 9.5 million, 125.6 million, 379.6 million, and 485.6 million, which led to multiple transactions totaling over VND1 billion.

"I believed these codes were necessary for a refund," the victim said, adding that when she asked for a customer support number, the scammers vanished.

Vu Hang, manager of Minawa Kenh Ga Resort, confirmed that the fanpage was fake, adding that similar scams have occurred before. She emphasized that the resort does not operate a fanpage and only takes bookings directly or via authorized online travel agencies.

Bui Van Manh, director of the Ninh Binh Department of Tourism, is working with the resort to alert potential visitors about the scam.