An attractive travel offer, licence image, or hotel photograph does not establish that you are dealing with the genuine trader. Verify the organisation, address, contact, and recipient before paying. A later message claiming the booking will expire unless card details are supplied can also impersonate a real provider. Check through your saved booking record or the operator's genuine entry point instead of following the unexpected link. Existing booking details alone do not authenticate the sender.
What to have ready
Before you start
Use TIA's register for a Hong Kong travel agent, matching the name and licence status and independently contacting the genuine business; an impersonator can borrow a licensed name. For a direct airline or hotel booking, verify the operator's channel and product terms. Police anti-scam information and Scameter assist suspicious-detail checks but provide no guarantee when no warning appears. Confirm who sells the service and who is responsible for changes, cancellation, and support.
What to do, step by step
- Locate the official website or register independently rather than relying only on an advertisement, checking names, contact routes, and address spelling.
- Read baggage, cancellation, changes, room type, and additional charges, confirming the total and exactly which services are included.
- Check the payment recipient's relationship to the trader and pause to verify an unfamiliar personal account, pressure, or extra verification payment.
- Check official booking and service references after payment, verify later requests through the original channel, and retain the complete records.
Costs, timing, and things to check
Agent and airline references can differ, and hotel-platform updates can take time. Ask for clarification instead of treating a reference mismatch alone as proof of fraud.
A licence check does not guarantee a refund or identical protection for every product. Examine terms and complaint arrangements separately for overseas platforms.
A practical example
A message contains your name and stay dates but claims the hotel card details failed. Open the original platform account or use an independently verified hotel contact to confirm instead of the new link. If you already provided card information or transferred money, promptly contact the bank and police through official channels and retain messages and transaction evidence.
Verify the genuine seller and recipient, and independently check later booking messages.
Official information and enquiries
These are the reference and service entry points for this guide. Check current fees, eligibility, and schedules with the authority. The preparation date is not each source's official update date.