Fake Marriott Hotel Cancellation Refund Scam
Scammers impersonate Marriott with fake cancellation notices for upcoming reservations, directing victims to phishing pages that steal account credentials and payment details under the guise of processing a refund.
Part of: Fake Cancellation & Refund Scams
Last reviewed: 8 June 2026
With millions of hotel reservations placed through Marriott's global portfolio each year, fraudulent cancellation notices are an effective phishing vector. Travellers who have a genuine upcoming Marriott stay are naturally concerned when they receive a message suggesting their booking has been cancelled — and the urgency of the situation overrides critical thinking.
The scam is timed to be maximally disruptive: messages often arrive a few days before a trip, claiming the hotel cancelled the reservation due to a 'payment verification failure' and that a refund is being processed. Victims who click the 'Claim Refund' link hand over their Marriott login and card details to the scammer.
Marriott's real cancellation notifications arrive exclusively from '@marriott.com' email addresses and are reflected immediately in the reservation management section of the Marriott Bonvoy app. If a real cancellation occurs, the refund is processed automatically to the original payment method — no card re-entry is ever required.
How this scam works on the Marriott brand
The phishing email adopts Marriott's navy and gold corporate design, quoting a hotel name, confirmation number, and arrival date — sometimes accurately sourced from a previous booking or a data breach. The message states the reservation was cancelled due to a payment issue and instructs the guest to click a link to 'verify their account and receive their refund'.
The link leads to a Marriott sign-in lookalike page. After logging in, the victim is shown a payment form requesting card details to complete the 'refund transfer'. This step is entirely fictitious in Marriott's real process.
A parallel variant claims the hotel cancelled due to full-occupancy overbooking and offers the victim a 'complimentary upgrade' at a nearby partner hotel — requiring a new payment and card details on a fraudulent booking page.
Common red flags
- Cancellation notice arrives from any domain other than '@marriott.com'
- You are asked to re-enter card details to receive a refund for the cancelled reservation
- Your real Marriott Bonvoy app still shows the reservation as 'Confirmed' when you check directly
- The cancellation message references a hotel name or dates that are not accurate to any real upcoming reservation you hold
- An offer of a 'complimentary upgrade' at a nearby hotel requires a new payment through an external link
- Urgency framing states the refund will lapse if not claimed within hours
How to protect yourself
- Open the Marriott Bonvoy app immediately and check the reservation status directly — if it shows 'Confirmed', the cancellation notice is fraudulent
- Real Marriott refunds are processed automatically to your original card — no action or re-entry of payment details is required
- Enable two-factor authentication on your Bonvoy account
- Call the hotel property directly using the number on marriott.com to verify any genuine cancellation
- Change your Marriott password immediately if you logged in through a suspicious link
- Alert your card issuer if you entered card details on an external page
How to report it
- Report the phishing email to Marriott at [email protected]
- File a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- Contact Marriott Bonvoy at 1-800-627-7468 to secure your account if credentials were entered
- File with the IC3 at ic3.gov if financial loss occurred
Frequently asked questions
What does a real Marriott cancellation email look like?
Real Marriott cancellation emails arrive from '@marriott.com' addresses, reference your actual confirmation number, and state that any refund has been initiated to your original payment method automatically. They never include a link to re-enter card details.
How do I verify whether my Marriott reservation was really cancelled?
Open the Marriott Bonvoy app or go to marriott.com and check 'My Trips'. If the reservation shows as active, the cancellation notice was fraudulent.
What if the cancellation email has my exact reservation details?
Scammers can source reservation details from compromised booking systems or data breaches. Accurate details alone do not authenticate the email — always verify through the app or marriott.com.