This was listed on a recent agent site, something I think you may find rather interesting!
Guests of top hotel chains targets of new Internet scam
A well-organized online fraud is scamming over 71,000 travelers each month as
they book rooms online at some of America's best known hotel chains,
including Hyatt, Clarion, TraveLodge, Comfort Inn, Red Roof, EconoLodge, Super 8,
Ramada, Days Inn, and Wyndham, according to an exclusive report by
fraudtip.com.
Findings released for the first time this morning show that the Internet scam
combines advanced online advertising, bogus hotel locators, third-party
reservation systems, and an Internet browser virus to redirect hotel guest
traffic to fake versions of well-known hotel chain websites.
The scam casts a big net and is evolving daily, reports FraudTip.com.
Affected properties include hotels and suites, budget motels, airport hotels,
luxury hotels, resorts, and casinos.
Hardest hit are Super 8 Motels, Days Inn, and Ramada, which are owned by
Wyndham Worldwide in Parsippany, New Jersey, the world's largest hotel chain. A
total of over 50,000 travelers seeking out these hotels are redirected to the
bogus sites each month.
Another 15,862 prospective guests are redirected from Comfort Inn, the chain
owned by Choice Hotels International located in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Econo Lodge and Clarion Hotels & Resorts, also owned by Choice Hotels, are
targets as well.
Red Roof Inn, headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan, is currently losing an
average of 4,441 visitors per month. In addition, Hyatt Hotels, headquartered
in Chicago, has fallen prey to the same fraud network.
FraudTip.com's preliminary findings show that the fraudulent sites are
attracting a higher-than-average percentage of female visitors, teens, as well as
adults 50+. The scam has also attracted a higher-than-average percentage of
African American visitors, and has proven effective in attracting an affluent
audience, and a high index of graduates and post graduates.
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