Phishing attacks continue to target guests of Flemish hotels

Horeca Flanders calls on guests to remain vigilant, Minister Beenders looks at possibilities

Horeca Vlaanderen received numerous reports from hotels last week about a phishing attack targeting their guests. Guests receive messages via WhatsApp or other communication channels containing correct reservation details, such as their name, booking reference, or dates of stay. They are then redirected to a fake payment page with the aim of stealing payment details. Horeca Vlaanderen raised the issue with Minister of Consumer Affairs Beenders, who is considering further action.

Almost a hundred Flemish hotels informed Horeca Flanders last week that their guests had been affected by a widespread phishing campaign that is still ongoing.

More than a third of these affected hotels report that they have each received more than 25 reports of suspicious messages from their guests in recent days. The impact is clearly noticeable in the daily operations of the hotels. The majority of hoteliers indicate that the loss of time for staff is particularly burdensome, followed by damage to reputation and complaints from guests who are confronted with the fraudulent messages. In a number of cases, financial damage and operational disruptions are also reported.

Besides the direct consequences for hotels, the support from their channel manager – the software tool for managing various online sales channels – is considered insufficient by a large part of the respondents.

Horeca Vlaanderen is very concerned about the situation and the prevailing uncertainty. To support its members, the sector organisation provided the hotels Practical recommendations and guidelines about the measures they themselves can take.

“We also call on hotel guests to be extra vigilant with unexpected and suspicious communication regarding payments or reservations. If in doubt, always contact the hotel directly and report it,” says CEO of Horeca Vlaanderen, Matthias De Caluwe. “Furthermore, we have raised this with Minister of Consumer Protection Beenders, so that together we can quickly get a better picture of the scale and cause. This way, we can also better protect hoteliers and their hotel guests in the future. We are therefore particularly pleased that the minister is taking immediate action,” says De Caluwe.

Minister Beenders explores possibilities

Minister of Consumer Protection Rob Beenders immediately took action following the report from Horeca Vlaanderen. Many consumers have already been targeted by this phishing attack, and this must stop urgently.

“We are taking these signals very seriously. I therefore urge everyone to be extra vigilant when you receive emails, text messages or other messages with payment requests or suspicious links. Criminals are increasingly trying to exploit the trust of consumers and entrepreneurs today. That is why it is crucial that possible cases of fraud are reported quickly. As Minister for Consumer Protection, Horeca Vlaanderen provides me with all findings and signals, so that we can examine them thoroughly and take appropriate action where necessary. You can always report suspicious messages or attempted scams via the official government reporting point: safeonweb.be/nl/opgelicht. ”Only by reporting quickly and remaining vigilant can we better protect consumers and businesses against digital fraud," says Minister Beenders.