Be cautious of this phishing scam that is pretending to be Booking.com.

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      If you work in the hospitality sector and receive an email from Booking.com claiming to be from an upset guest, be cautious—it could be part of a phishing scam. Microsoft has alerted users about an ongoing phishing campaign that involves fake emails from Booking.com, which direct recipients to download harmful software.

      In a blog post regarding this issue, Microsoft Threat Intelligence explains that this campaign has been active since December of the previous year and employs a social engineering tactic called ClickFix. Victims will get an email that seems to originate from Booking.com, with content that can vary widely—from guest complaints to information requests from potential customers or account verification—often including a link (or a PDF with a link) that supposedly takes the user to Booking.com to resolve the issue.

      Upon clicking the link, users are presented with a screen that features a CAPTCHA overlay on a Booking.com site, but this CAPTCHA actually instructs the user to open Windows Run and copy and paste a command that downloads malware onto their computer.

      Once the malware is installed, it has the capability to steal financial information and login credentials, a method that Microsoft has linked to a previous phishing operation by a group they refer to as Storm-1865.

      Phishing scams are unfortunately common today, but this particular version is relatively sophisticated, preying on hospitality workers' concerns about guest satisfaction. To safeguard against this and other phishing attempts, Microsoft recommends that users verify the sender's email address, remain cautious of messages that convey urgent threats, and hover over links to view the complete URL before clicking. When uncertain, it’s best to navigate directly to the service provider—such as Booking.com—rather than clicking on a link.

      Georgina has been the space writer at Digital Trends for six years, focusing on human space exploration and planetary topics.

      Recent reports indicate that COVID-19-related phishing emails are being used to extract sensitive information from business owners, utilizing Google Forms as a means of gathering data.

      Phishing messages based on COVID-19 have reportedly gained traction in recent weeks, according to Bleeping Computer.

      Setting up phishing operations targeting Microsoft 365 has become relatively simple, due to a phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) platform named Caffeine. This service offers cybercriminals a method to infiltrate individuals' Microsoft 365 accounts, as reported by Bleeping Computer.

      One of the latest email scams is a clever scheme that encourages companies to transfer money by impersonating communication from senior management within an email thread. This scam, termed a business email compromise (BEC) campaign, involves a malicious actor posing as a company executive, sending an email that appears to be a forwarded message with directives for an employee to wire funds. Typically, the victims of this scam are employees in financial departments or those authorized to conduct wire transfers.