Exposing Hotel Booking Scams: Booking Hotels at Half Price on Second-Hand Platforms May Make You an Accomplice to Credit Card Fraud

Source: Consumer Reports Author: Zhang Derong / Hu Wenjing

“Nationwide hotel booking, price comparison across the web” “50% off hotel and guesthouse bookings”… On secondhand platforms, various low-cost hotel booking services are emerging endlessly. Because prices are far below official hotel rates and OTA platforms, many consumers are tempted. But behind these seemingly cost-effective deals, numerous traps lurk, and a careless move could result in losing both money and property.

On social media, many netizens complain about falling victim to hotel booking scams. Some consumers are told their reservations are “fraudulent” after booking; others are asked to show fake employee IDs when checking in; some are even taken away by local police while staying at overseas hotels. Cases of rights being unprotected are all too common.

1. Can you get a room key without real-name registration? Hidden violations in hotel booking

Investigations by Consumer Reports found that a seller rated L7 on a secondhand platform promotes ultra-low discount booking services for hotels in Macau. Their listings feature eye-catching phrases like “Macau hotels at 10% of the lowest price” and “daily special rates.” L7-level users are typically high-volume sellers with good reviews, and under the platform’s credit rating and low-price lure, many consumers inquire and place orders.

                    Image source: a secondhand platform

As a consumer, Consumer Reports reporter inquired about the price for a “Luxury Twin Room” at the Grand Lisboa Hotel in Macau on March 12. The seller quickly quoted 650 yuan. Meanwhile, a reputable OTA platform showed the same room at the same hotel on the same day priced at 1,297 yuan—about half the secondhand platform’s price, a huge difference. When asked why the price was so much lower than official rates, the seller claimed it was “off-season” without providing specific sourcing details.

                    Left: conversation with the seller   Right: hotel room price on OTA platform

Even more suspicious, the seller revealed that booking through their service allows direct room key pickup without real-name registration at the hotel front desk. When the reporter expressed concerns about the reliability and safety of such arrangements, the seller claimed, “We cooperate with hotel staff,” and emphasized “Macau is very safe,” but did not specify how they collaborate with hotel staff.

                    Conversation between seller and reporter

Xie Hua (pseudonym), who has worked in Macau’s tourism industry for many years, told Consumer Reports that low-cost Macau hotel listings on secondhand platforms mainly fall into two categories: “voucher” and “room key” rooms. “Vouchers” are legitimate rooms but cannot be checked in in real-time, cannot be booked for specific dates at will, and usually have strict restrictions—often unavailable on weekends and public holidays. “Room key” rooms are gray or even illegal listings, often VIP complimentary rooms given by casinos. “Some casinos pre-purchase a portion of hotel rooms, and unsold VIP rooms are resold at low prices on secondhand platforms.”

Xie emphasizes that in Macau, reselling “room key” rooms is illegal, and legitimate OTA platforms and travel agencies do not list such properties. Consumer Reports also found that Macau Daily reported a case where VIP points were illegally stolen and exchanged for hotel rooms to resell for profit; the involved parties were later detained.

It’s worth noting that the check-in process for these rooms is highly unregulated: consumers do not need to register with their real names or check out; they can check in with the room key provided by the seller. “Casinos usually hold two room keys—one given to the guest, and when the guest leaves, it stays in the room for staff to retrieve later.”

Xie warns that “room key” rooms pose safety risks—staff can enter and exit at will, and consumers’ personal and property safety cannot be guaranteed.

2. Industry insiders: Low-cost overseas hotel bookings mostly involve credit card fraud

On the Black Cat Complaint platform, there are 1,142 complaints about “hotel booking,” with invalid orders and non-refundable issues being common.

Liu Hui (pseudonym), with 10 years of experience in high-end business travel services, told Consumer Reports that most overseas hotel bookings on secondhand platforms are made through stolen credit cards. “Buyers steal overseas users’ credit card info and points to book hotels, then sell the rooms at low prices. The buyers are unaware of the fraud, and the sellers pocket the full difference,” Liu explained.

How can consumers tell if an order is a “fraudulent charge”? Liu suggests verifying the original price with the hotel. If the price difference is huge, it’s likely an abnormal order. “Prices so low that even legitimate OTA platforms in China can’t match—how could they appear out of nowhere on secondhand platforms? Nobody would sell at a loss.”

Liu also said many netizens have privately messaged him, saying they’ve faced fraud orders, filed complaints without resolution, and fallen into rights disputes—most of whom are overseas students.

According to The Beijing News, scammers use two different tactics for domestic and international hotel bookings. For overseas hotels, they mainly steal credit card info and resell points; for domestic hotels, they often fake confirmations or cancel bookings before check-in to scam deposits, causing consumer losses.

Behind these issues is a lack of platform oversight for secondhand service goods. Regarding how platforms ensure safety for consumers booking hotels through these services—covering accommodation, funds, personal safety, and legal judgments—Consumer Reports sent inquiries to the involved platforms but had not received responses as of publication.

3. Lawyer’s interpretation: No responsibility if unaware; aiding fraud may make you an accomplice

If a consumer is unaware that a booking is illegal, chooses hotel booking services on a secondhand platform out of low-price temptation, and actually checks in, does this constitute a violation? Are they legally responsible? If not, how can they prove their innocence when questioned by hotels or police?

Guo Xiaoming, a lawyer at Zhonglian (Chengdu) Law Firm, told Consumer Reports that if a consumer is genuinely attracted by low prices, and during the transaction has no reason to suspect the order is illegal, and did not participate in fraud or theft, merely paying and checking in as an ordinary buyer, then their behavior does not constitute a crime and they are not liable criminally. If the hotel claims the order was generated through fraud and invalidates it, the consumer may need to pay a reasonable room fee as requested, but after payment, they have the right to seek compensation from the seller under the Consumer Rights Protection Law and Civil Code.

“In case of hotel verification or police inquiry, don’t panic. The key is to provide complete evidence, including personal ID, proof of normal check-in procedures, platform order screenshots, payment receipts, and all chat records with the seller—especially keywords like ‘official channel’ or ‘legitimate price’ to prove you paid, with no forgery or concealment. Also, promptly report to the platform, call 12315, or file a police report. In practice, with solid evidence, honest consumers can usually clarify quickly,” Guo said. However, he also warned that if the consumer pays significantly below market prices (e.g., less than 50% of standard rates) and does not verify, it may be harder to prove ignorance later.

If a consumer knowingly participates in illegal activities—such as using fake company IDs or hiding the true booking source—they may be violating the law. Guo pointed out that knowingly assisting in illegal orders, providing false information, or using forged documents to check in could violate the Public Security Administration Punishments Law, risking detention or fines. More seriously, credit card fraud is usually classified as credit card scam; if the consumer knowingly assists in such crimes (e.g., forging documents, concealing identity), they could be charged as an accessory to credit card fraud. Civilly, hotels can demand payment of the owed amount; if courts find joint infringement, they may also hold the cardholder or hotel liable for damages based on fault.