Fake Booking Site Scams in Spain
Cloned hotel and holiday booking platforms steal payments from tourists planning trips to Spain by intercepting bookings outside legitimate platforms.
Part of: Fake Booking Sites
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Spain is the world's second-most visited country, making it a prime target for fraudulent booking platforms. Clone sites impersonating Booking.com, Airbnb and major Spanish hotel chains appear in Google advertising and social media, luring tourists with attractive prices for properties in Barcelona, Madrid, the Costa del Sol and the Canary Islands.
The Guardia Civil and local tourism authorities have warned about the prevalence of off-platform payment requests and clone sites, particularly targeting international travellers who have less local knowledge to assess legitimacy. Victims arrive at their destination to find no reservation exists.
How this scam works on Spain
Tourists searching for accommodation find a Google ad for a site that closely resembles Booking.com or an official hotel website. The site presents genuine-looking property listings and reviews. After selecting a room, they are directed to a payment page that processes the card but sends no booking confirmation to the hotel.
In some cases, a property owner on a legitimate platform is impersonated — a scammer creates a fake listing at a real address, intercepts inquiries and requests payment outside the platform citing a preference for direct bookings and a lower price. The victim receives a fake booking confirmation.
Spanish coastal holiday scams often involve fraudulent villa-rental listings on Facebook Marketplace, targeting northern-European tourists searching for summer rentals.
Common red flags
- Booking site URL contains extra words or slight misspellings of known platforms
- Price is notably lower than on the official platform for the same property
- Property contact asks you to pay outside the booking platform via bank transfer
- No customer service phone number or the number does not connect to a real person
- Booking confirmation email domain does not match the official platform
How to protect yourself
- Book through official platforms only — type URLs directly rather than following ads
- Never pay outside an established booking platform no matter what discount is offered
- Pay with a credit card for chargeback protection if the booking turns out to be fraudulent
- Verify hotel phone numbers independently and call to confirm your reservation before travel
- Check site legitimacy on INCIBE's cybersecurity resources at incibe.es
How to report it
- Guardia Civil: gdt.guardiacivil.es — online cybercrime report
- Policía Nacional: denuncias.policia.es — fraud complaint
- Consumer disputes: consumo.gob.es — Spanish Ministry of Consumer Affairs
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if I arrive in Spain and my booking does not exist?
Contact your credit card company immediately to dispute the charge. File a denuncia at the nearest Comisaría de Policía Nacional and contact your travel insurance provider. Keep all documentation of the booking and payment.