HACKING – A wave of hacking has rocked the hotel industry in Yogyakarta again. This time, cybercriminals targeted hotel phone numbers listed on Google Maps. As a result, hundreds of hotels in DIY suffered financial losses due to fraud committed by the perpetrators.
The modus operandi used by the perpetrators was quite simple but effective. They hacked the hotel’s Google Business account and replaced the registered phone number with their own. When prospective guests contacted the number, the perpetrators then asked for payment in advance on the grounds of booking a room.
The Chairman of the Jogja Branch Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, Deddy Pranowo Eryono, appealed to the public to always be careful and double-check before making payment transactions.
“We recommend that the public always contact the hotel’s official phone number listed on the hotel’s official website or social media,” said Deddy with reporters recently.
Deddy Pranowo Eryono
Deddy added that so far in Jogja 120 hotels, both starred, non-starred, and homestays, have been hacked and their contact numbers and payment account numbers have been changed by hackers. Therefore, he advised prospective guests not to make advance payments when booking a room or transacting with the hotel or restaurant.
Although in Jogja there have been no victims of the hacking, the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association received reports that a number of guests from East Java, Jakarta, and West Sumatra had been deceived. In order to anticipate the spread of this hacking, he reported the incident to the Yogyakarta Regional Police so that further security measures can be taken.
“To hotel agents, I also remind them not to include mobile numbers in the hotel contact information. In addition to anticipating a flood of spam, it also protects against hacking. ” said Deddy (*/)
