Authorities in Spain have apprehended a scammer who manipulated the booking system of upscale hotels by reserving rooms for the suspiciously low price of one cent. This exploit enabled the individual to secure multiple luxury accommodations without upfront payment, resulting in significant financial losses for the affected establishments. Investigators revealed that the scammer exploited a loophole in the hotel’s online platforms, tricking automated payment systems into confirming reservations with negligible deposits.

The modus operandi included:

  • Exploiting promotional offers combined with payment glitches;
  • Making sequential low-cost bookings across various hotel chains;
  • Canceling some reservations last-minute, while holding others to extract complimentary services.

Police emphasized the need for tighter cybersecurity measures and stronger verification protocols to prevent future incidents of this nature….