Fake Booking Sites Targeting Mongolia Tourists
Fraudulent tour and ger camp booking sites target Mongolia visitors with fake reservations for Gobi Desert, Naadam festival, and steppe wilderness packages.
Part of: Fake Booking Sites
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Mongolia's tourism sector has grown significantly, drawing visitors for wilderness experiences in the Gobi Desert, Khövsgöl Lake, and Naadam festival. International travellers booking Mongolia tours often do so months in advance from abroad, creating a gap between payment and arrival that fake booking sites exploit by taking deposits for ger camps and guided tours that were never reserved.
Naadam festival season and summer peak travel periods see the highest concentration of fake booking activity, as demand for limited accommodation outpaces verifiable supply.
How this scam works on Mongolia
A traveller searching for Gobi Desert tours or Naadam festival ger camp packages clicks a paid search advertisement. The booking site presents polished Mongolia imagery and collects full payment or a substantial deposit. A confirmation email with a realistic-sounding property name arrives, but on arrival in Ulaanbaatar the tour company or ger camp has no record of the booking.
Some operations copy legitimate Mongolian tour operators' photos and text without authorisation. Others invent entirely fictional operators with professional-looking sites.
Common red flags
- The booking website has no established reputation or verifiable history.
- Prices are substantially below those quoted by known Mongolian tour operators.
- Payment by bank transfer is required rather than a card gateway.
- The confirmation email comes from a free email domain.
- The operator cannot be reached by phone through an independently verified number.
How to protect yourself
- Book through operators listed on the Mongolian Tourism Association register.
- Verify operators independently and call through a number you find yourself.
- Pay by credit card where possible for chargeback protection.
- Screenshot all booking confirmations before travel.
How to report it
- Report to the Mongolian National Tourism Organisation at tourism.gov.mn.
- Report to the Mongolian National Police.
- Contact your card issuer immediately for chargeback if payment was by card.
Frequently asked questions
I paid a large deposit for a Naadam festival ger camp package that turned out to be fake — what can I do now?
Contact your card issuer immediately to dispute the charge if paid by card, and report to the Mongolian National Police and National Tourism Organisation. Given Naadam's short, fixed dates, also try to quickly arrange alternative accommodation rather than waiting for resolution before your trip.
The tour company gave me a licence number — how do I check if it's genuine?
Contact the Mongolian Tourism Association or the Ministry of Environment and Tourism directly and ask them to confirm the licence number matches the company name, rather than trusting the number as presented. A fabricated number won't match on independent verification.
Is it safer to book a Gobi Desert tour after arriving in Ulaanbaatar rather than in advance?
It can reduce some risk since you can visit a tour operator's physical office and verify them in person, though this limits your options during peak season. If booking in advance, verify the operator independently before sending any deposit rather than relying on the website alone.
How do I find a verified Mongolia tour operator?
The Mongolian Tourism Association (MTA) and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism maintain registers of licensed operators. Request a licence number and verify it before paying any deposit.