Booking.com Phishing Attack Uses Sneaky Japanese Character to Trick Users
Sneaky New Booking.com Scam Uses Japanese Characters to Fool Everyone - Here's What to Watch For
Heads up - there's a clever new phishing scam targeting Booking.com users that's even fooling tech-savvy folks. The attackers are using a sneaky trick with Japanese characters to make fake URLs look legitimate, and I've got to admit, it's pretty ingenious (in an evil genius kind of way).
How This Scam Actually Works
Here's the wild part: The scammers are using a Japanese hiragana character (ん) that looks almost identical to the letter "n" in English. When you see it in a URL like "bookingん.com", your brain automatically reads it as "booking.com" - but it's actually leading to a completely different website.
This is what security folks call a "homoglyph attack" - using characters from different alphabets that look identical to trick people. Think of it like someone using a zero (0) instead of the letter O in a web address. At a glance, they look the same, but they lead to totally different places.
Why This is Extra Dangerous
What makes this attack particularly nasty is that it's hitting people when they're expecting to hear from Booking.com. The phishing emails look like legitimate booking confirmations or updates, so people are more likely to click without thinking twice.
Once you click, you're taken to a fake site that looks exactly like Booking.com, where they try to steal your login credentials and payment info. And here's the kicker - these scammers are also going after Intuit (QuickBooks) customers with the same technique.
How to Protect Yourself
First things first - I always tell my family to use a password manager. Not just because it stores passwords securely, but because it won't auto-fill credentials on fake sites, even if they look identical to the real thing. Personally, I use NordPass because it's easy enough for my non-tech-savvy relatives to use but still has all the security features I want.
Other Ways to Spot These Scams:
Hover over links before clicking - the actual URL will show up in your browser's status bar
Look carefully at the URL in your address bar - any weird characters or slight misspellings are red flags
Use a hardware security key for important accounts - I recommend the YubiKey 5 NFC because it's basically impossible for phishing sites to trick
When in doubt, go directly to Booking.com (or any site) by typing the address yourself instead of clicking email links
The Bigger Picture
This isn't just about Booking.com - these homoglyph attacks are becoming more common because they work. We've seen similar tricks with PayPal, Amazon, and major banks. The scammers are betting that we're all too busy to look closely at URLs, and unfortunately, they're often right.
What To Do Right Now
If you've clicked any Booking.com links recently, check your account activity. Change your password immediately if anything looks suspicious, and keep an eye on your credit card statements.
For ongoing protection, consider using a VPN that includes phishing protection. I personally use NordVPN because it automatically blocks known phishing sites, even if you accidentally click on a malicious link.
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