- by croatiaweek
- May 24, 2026
- in
As Croatia’s tourist season gathers pace, hotels and private accommodation providers are increasingly facing problems linked to online booking fraud and cybercrime.
Several accommodation owners have reported cases involving hacked listings, fake reservations and attempts to steal guests’ financial information through fraudulent booking links.
In one case from Pula, a family-run hotel discovered suspicious activity during the Easter weekend, despite operating at full capacity.
Hotel owner Deniz Zembo told HRT alarm bells rang when a booking for a double room arrived at an unusually low price of €30 during one of the busiest weekends of the year.
After investigating the issue through the property’s extranet system, the hotel discovered its page on the booking platform had been compromised.
According to Zembo, hackers inserted a fraudulent link into the hotel’s online listing and received 116 reservations in a single night.
Guests were allegedly asked to submit personal and credit card details through the fake link, after which attempts were made to charge payments directly to the fraudsters.
Hotel staff quickly contacted guests to warn them about the scam and managed to prevent further fraudulent bookings. Zembo said the hotel did not initially receive a response from the platform following complaints and warnings, although assistance was later provided to open a new account several weeks afterwards.
Private accommodation providers have also reported similar experiences.
One holiday home owner told HRT she first became aware of a problem after being contacted by a guest who claimed to have seen her property advertised on a platform where she does not normally list accommodation.
After checking the platform, she discovered a fake listing using details and photographs of her property.
She said repeated attempts to contact the platform initially went unanswered. Although the false listing was eventually removed, new versions reportedly continued appearing under different property names.
She noted that the fraudulent advertisements often encouraged guests to contact an external email address directly in order to avoid payments being processed through the booking platform.
Industry representatives are now calling for stronger protections for accommodation providers and guests.
Lorena John, president of the Istria County Family Accommodation Association, said booking platforms need to improve security measures for advertisers using their services.
One measure expected to strengthen oversight is the planned introduction of mandatory registration numbers for all accommodation units operating in Croatia.
Under current rules, all accommodation providers will be required to obtain and display official registration numbers on advertising platforms from 1 January 2027.
Until then, accommodation owners are being urged to remain cautious and monitor online listings closely as cybercriminals become increasingly sophisticated in targeting the tourism sector.