Family loses over $6K in scary hotel room service scam: It ‘isn’t that uncommon’

[Kamaji]

Family loses over $6K in scary hotel room service scam: It ‘isn’t that uncommon’

By Asia Grace
April 26, 2022

Beware of this not-so-suite room service scam.

While the running joke about wildly overpriced food and snacks at fancy hotels still stands, one unsuspecting family lost over $6,000 when they ordered some eats to their room while lodging at a well-known inn.

“You need to be careful about this dangerous food service scam in hotels,” warned TikToker Ali Koca to his 1.8 million followers. “This family was staying in a hotel, and they decided to order room service using the father’s debit card.”

In the clip, which has racked up a staggering 1.9 million views, Koca, from Toronto, shares an unnamed family’s cautionary tale in front of a green-screen image of a Holiday Inn Express; however, the location of the incident, as well as the specific franchise, has not been made public.

Koca then explains that after calling the phone number on what they believed to be the hotel’s room service line, the family placed their food order and provided the dad’s credit card information to the presumed staffer over the phone.

“They waited over an hour and a half, and no food got delivered,” Koca narrated. “So the father called the front desk to ask where his order was, but they told him they never got an order from his room.”

Panicked, the man logged in to his online banking platform to find that, “more than $6,000 of his money had just been withdrawn in the last hour and a half,” claimed the viral vigilante.

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Source:  https://nypost.com/2022/04/26/family-loses-over-6k-in-scary-hotel-room-service-scam/

[verga]

One sentence says "Debit " later it says "credit" card.  Either way, not a good thing.

[Kamaji]

One sentence says "Debit " later it says "credit" card.  Either way, not a good thing.

It was most likely the debit card, not a credit card, since the story subsequently states that the father logged onto his bank account and saw that the $6k had been taken.  That wouldn't have happened with a credit card.

Using one's debit card to make purchases is not a smart thing to do.

[Cyber Liberty]

FTA:

In the clip, which has racked up a staggering 1.9 million views, Koca, from Toronto, shares an unnamed family’s cautionary tale in front of a green-screen image of a Holiday Inn Express; however, the location of the incident, as well as the specific franchise, has not been made public.

Could not have been Holiday Inn Express, because they don't have restaurants and therefore don't have Room Service.

[DefiantMassRINO]

It's better to use a credit card ... the crooks are stealing the banks' money.

With the debit cards, the crooks are stealing your money.

[verga]

It's better to use a credit card ... the crooks are stealing the banks' money.

With the debit cards, the crooks are stealing your money.

When I travel, I exclusively use the AmEx card. I am protected 100%.

[catfish1957]

It was most likely the debit card, not a credit card, since the story subsequently states that the father logged onto his bank account and saw that the $6k had been taken.  That wouldn't have happened with a credit card.

Using one's debit card to make purchases is not a smart thing to do.

Agree.  I only use credit cards for convienence, and they few I do use, are real keen to what appear to be "strange" charges, and I get alerted fairly often by design.

Double agree of Debit and ATM cards.  Never have and  never will own one.  Risks outweigh the benefits.

[Hoodat]

FTA:

Could not have been Holiday Inn Express, because they don't have restaurants and therefore don't have Room Service.

That's a B-I-N-G-O

Also, if they had stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, they would have been much smarter.