A man from Ontario, Barry Goode, has a penchant for vacations and he recently found a luxurious villa on the online booking platform Booking.com that caught his eye.
Resident of the Ontario town of Tiny, Goode told CTV that he loves taking vacations and decided to go on a three-week trip to Costa Rica with his wife at the end of January this year.
He stumbled upon a luxurious villa on Booking.com, with guest reviews that seemed promising, averaging a high score of 9.8. Goode contacted the landlord.
The landlord suggested communicating through the WhatsApp messaging app, following which Goode wired $7,736 in accommodation fees to the landlord.
However, things took a sudden turn. He couldn’t get any more information about the villa, and the images and descriptions of the property on Booking.com were altered.
Goode said, “The pictures changed the day after I accused them of using false images and listings.”
When Goode complained to Booking.com, he was told he shouldn’t have wired the accommodation fees and was offered a $500 compensation, which he refused.
Travel expert Loren Christie advised, “Never wire money on your own.” People should complete the entire booking process, including communication and payment, through the platform.
After CTV’s intervention, Booking.com agreed to refund Goode in full and stated their commitment to ensuring the platform is “safe, reliable, and trustworthy.”
The platform reminds users: legitimate transactions will never require customers to provide personal credit card details over the phone, email, or text (including WhatsApp).
Furthermore, using photos stolen from legitimate websites to create fake listings is a common tactic used by scammers. It is advisable to always use a credit card for payment if possible, as it provides more protection in case issues arise.