Hotel Scam Protection

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Scam protection for hotels, dharamshalas & guest houses

Someone may be taking bookings in your name.

Scammers copy real hotels and pilgrim stays with lookalike websites, ads and fake phone numbers, then collect “advance payments” from your guests. You lose the booking, the guest loses money, and your reviews take the blame. We find the fakes, get them taken down and keep watching.

  • Weekly scans of Google, Maps, ads and social media
  • Fake sites and numbers reported and followed up
  • A clear “official channels” page for your guests
  • For single hotels, trusts and whole groups
126fake websites run by one gang, copying dharamshalas, ashrams, trusts and hotels.ThePrint, Aug 2026
21,985people cheated by that one gang since 2022, according to Gujarat Police.ThePrint, Aug 2026
41of those fake sites targeted Gujarat — Somnath, Dwarka, Girnar, Palitana, Bhuj and more.ThePrint, Aug 2026
1 site onlyThe Somnath Trust warns it accepts room bookings only through somnath.org — never by private number or UPI.Shree Somnath Trust
How the scam works

Your name, their bank account.

The guest searches for your property, finds a convincing page or number, and pays an advance to “confirm” the room. They only find out at your front desk. Pilgrim towns, holiday seasons and properties without their own website are hit hardest.

Lookalike websites

Your photos and name copied onto a new site — often on a free website builder — that appears in search or ads above your real one.

Fake numbers on your listing

Phone numbers added to your Google listing as photos or edits, so guests who call reach the scammer, not you.

Paid ads in your name

Search ads that use your property name and send guests to a fake booking page.

WhatsApp “reception”

A scammer poses as your reception on WhatsApp and asks for an advance by UPI to a personal account.

What we found this week

It’s happening right now.

While preparing this service, we searched for a Somnath Trust guest house. One of the top results was a lookalike page on a free website builder, taking bookings through a private phone number — even though the Trust says it accepts bookings only on somnath.org.

Warning signs we look for

  • Free website addresses or misspelled domains
  • “Book through our official phone number” with no booking system
  • No company name, terms or address details
  • Phone numbers that don’t match your own
  • Requests for UPI to a personal account

What we do about it

  • Record the evidence with links and screenshots
  • Report to Google, the hosting company and domain registrar
  • Prepare a complaint for India’s cybercrime portal
  • Warn guests through your website and Google listing
  • Check again until it’s gone
2-minute risk check

How exposed is your property?

Answer 8 quick questions. You’ll get a risk score and the gaps to close first — then, if you like, send it to us and we’ll scan for fakes of your property.

0 of 8 answered

01Does your property have its own official website on its own domain (not a free page or only a social profile)?
02Is your Google Business Profile verified and managed by you or your staff?
03Does your Google listing show only your own phone numbers — none in photos, posts or suggested edits?
04Have you searched your property’s name in the last month to look for lookalike websites or ads?
05Do you take advance payments only through your booking engine or business account — never a personal UPI or private number?
06Does your website tell guests your only official numbers and how you take payment?
07Has a guest ever said they paid someone else for a booking at your property?
08Do you know how to report a fake website, listing or ad to Google and India’s cybercrime portal?
Your answers stay in your browser until you choose to send them.
How it works

Find, remove, keep watching.

A complete process run by our team, with a report you can show your staff, your trust board or the police.

01

Scan

We search Google, Maps, ads, social media and booking sites for your name, photos and numbers.

02

Secure

We check your Google listing, remove wrong numbers and make sure you control it.

03

Report

Fake sites, numbers and ads are reported to Google, hosts and registrars — and to the cybercrime portal where needed.

04

Warn guests

Your website and listing show your only official numbers and payment methods.

05

Watch

Weekly scans (daily in peak season), follow-up on every report and a monthly summary.

Packages

Start with a scan. Stay protected monthly.

Every package starts with a written, fixed quote. Cancel with 30 days’ notice. Properties outside India — ask us for a US$ quote. Add-on for any plan: email trust set-up (SPF, DKIM and DMARC on your domain, so fake emails “from” your hotel are blocked and your own emails land in the inbox) — ₹4,999 one-time. Want everything in one plan? See Hotel Safe & Compliant.

One-time

Scam Scan

Find out today whether anyone is using your property’s name.

  • Search of Google, Maps, ads and social media for lookalike sites and numbers
  • Check of your Google listing for wrong or extra phone numbers
  • Screenshots and links of everything suspicious
  • Step-by-step takedown plan
Book a scan
Monthly

Protect

Ongoing watch for a single property.

  • Weekly scan of search, maps, ads and social media
  • Google listing watch for new numbers and edits
  • Up to 3 takedown reports filed a month
  • Guest-warning notice for your website
  • Monthly report
Start Protect
Monthly

Protect Plus

Full cover for busy properties and pilgrim towns.

  • Everything in Protect
  • Daily scans in peak season and festival weeks
  • Unlimited takedown reports, followed up until closed
  • Cybercrime portal complaint prepared for you
  • “Verify us” page and official-number badge on your website
  • Google listing managed for you
  • Email trust set-up (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) so scammers can’t send email as you
Start Protect Plus
Custom

Trusts & groups

Per property a month for 10 or more properties.

  • Temples, trusts, dharamshala groups and hotel associations
  • One dashboard and report for every property
  • Official booking website set up if you don’t have one
  • Priority response when guests report a fake
Talk to us

We report fakes through the official channels and follow up, but the final decision to remove a website, listing or ad rests with Google, the hosting company or the authorities, so we can’t guarantee every takedown or its timing. We don’t recover money lost by guests; we help you and them report it. This is not legal advice.

Get started

Find out who’s using your name.

Tell us about your property. We search for fakes and reply within one working day with what we found and how to fix it.

  • Hotels, guest houses, homestays, dharamshalas and trusts
  • Gujarat and pilgrim towns across India
  • Being impersonated right now? Choose “urgent” and WhatsApp us

Protect your property

Tell us about your property. We reply within one working day (Mon–Fri). Fields marked * are required.

Fixed, written quote · No obligation to proceed
How do scammers copy a hotel or dharamshala?

They copy your name and photos onto lookalike websites, add their own numbers to your Google listing, run ads in your name or pose as your reception on WhatsApp. The guest pays an advance and only learns the truth when they arrive.

We don’t have a website. Are we at risk?

More than most. Without an official website, a scammer’s page can become the top result for your name. We can set up a simple official site with your real numbers and booking method.

Can you guarantee the fakes are removed?

No one can. Google, hosting companies and the authorities decide. We gather the evidence, file the reports properly and follow up until they act, and we keep your guests warned in the meantime.

A guest has already lost money. What should they do?

They should report it at once on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) or by calling 1930, and inform their bank. We can share the evidence we have on the fake site or number.

Do you work with temple trusts and groups of properties?

Yes. Trusts, temple boards, dharamshala groups and hotel associations get one plan, one report and a combined per-property quote for 10 or more properties.

How often do you check?

Weekly on Protect; daily during peak seasons and festival weeks on Protect Plus, when scams are most active.