Latest news with #onlineTravelAgency
Irish Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Booking.com scams are on the rise: Here's how to avoid them
– what's that again? It is one of the biggest online travel agencies, which since 2007 has been responsible for more than three billion bookings. It's a one-stop-shop for booking flights, hotels and rental apartments, attractions and transport. What scams have been happening? There have been a number of very convincing scams concerning hotel or apartment/villa rental bookings which are on the increase as holidays loom. How do they work? Hackers obtain details of hotels' and rental companies' accounts on They then email customers who have legitimately booked to stay in these locations via the website, and demand that they must urgently make a payment (first or final instalment) or give credit card details or be at risk of losing their booking. Typically, if users have paid a deposit or first instalment, will have saved their payment details in order to fulfil further payments on an agreed date. [ Banks warn customers to be vigilant over holiday scams Opens in new window ] The scammers will have precise information about a customer's booking, including dates of the stay or reservation number, and when a payment is due, so these emails can be very convincing. The same messages will also appear in the direct messaging function on the app, that customers use to talk directly to rental companies or hotels. The bogus messages will typically include an external link prompting the victim to a dupe payment page where the scammers can take money directly from the victim's account. Who has fallen victim to this scam? It has been an ongoing issue, but based on anecdotal and online accounts, incidents are on the increase. Notably, in January of this year, the consumer rights champion Brendan Burgess, founder of fell victim to such a scam. Bogus messages will typically include an external link prompting victims to a dupe payment page where the scammers can take money directly from an account. How can I avoid getting scammed? If you have booked with and receive an email or an in-app message telling you that you must pay up right away or you are at risk of losing your reservation, be suspicious. If you receive any messages that you find suspicious, call the hotel directly and ask them to verify the message you have been sent. Never click on an external link that is trying to take you away from the website – this will be scammers trying to take you to a dupe payment page to capture your banking information. What does say? If you are in doubt about a seemingly bona fide message from the site, you should contact customer service team (easier said than done) and/or the accommodation provider directly. Be suspicious of links you are sent. Genuine payments will be made on the app or website only. Look out for common fraud tactics and giveaways. 'Scam messages often include urgent language and may contain spelling or grammar errors,' says. If you have put your card details into a site, call your card provider. You may need to block or cancel your card.
Skift
20-06-2025
- Business
- Skift
Ixigo Lands $11 Million From Schroder Fund, Elevation Capital Trims Stake
Ixigo's focus on the next billion users in India, along with diversification and bet on profitable acquisitions has driven it to profitability in an already lucrative Indian market. Asset management company Schroder International Selection Fund has made an investment in online travel agency Ixigo. Through the block deal investment, the financial institution acquired a 1.38% stake in Ixigo, the online travel agency said in a statement. On Thursday, Ixigo shareholder Elevation capital sold 7.5 million shares in a block deal for about INR 1.35 billion ($15.7 million). Schroder acquired nearly 5.37 million shares for INR 969 million ($11.2 million). Last month, Elevation offloaded over 21.5 lakh shares for INR 382 million ($4.4 million). Even with the block deal, Elevation Capital still holds 12.08% in Ixigo. According to Ixigo, Elevation got a 2500% return on its latest partial
