Table of contents
- Cyber thieves target paradise: luxury hotel deposits disappear
- How the scam works: a textbook digital heist
- Up to €30,000 stolen per booking
- The trojan’s role: silent theft
- Police investigation underway
- Damage beyond money: trust in luxury tourism at risk
Cyber thieves target paradise: luxury hotel deposits disappear
Lake Como, the jewel of Italy’s high-end tourism, has become the unexpected backdrop to a digital nightmare. Several luxury hotels have been targeted by a sophisticated and devastating cyber scam. The loot?
Tons of thousands of euros in booking deposits, vanished into thin air after being transferred by unsuspecting customers directly to the accommodation facilities’ accounts.
How the scam works: a textbook digital heist
This fraud leverages classic social engineering techniques with a high-stakes twist. Cybercriminals posed as software support technicians, contacting hotel staff under the pretense of performing urgent updates.
Once granted remote access, they installed a trojan—a type of malware designed to spy on systems and steal sensitive data related to payment transactions.
Up to €30,000 stolen per booking
In some cases, victims lost as much as €30,000 per reservation, with other transactions ranging from €5,000 to €10,000.
These were pre-paid luxury vacations, often made through virtual credit cards. Typically, funds are held until check-out, but in this case, the money was intercepted and redirected almost instantly.
The trojan’s role: silent theft
Once embedded into the hotel’s system, the trojan monitored and captured every new online reservation, redirecting customer payments to fraudulent accounts. The thefts went unnoticed until accounting inconsistencies surfaced or guests flagged problems with their bookings.
Police investigation underway
The Cybercrime Unit of the Como Police has launched an investigation to trace the malware, identify the perpetrators, and recover stolen funds.
In the meantime, authorities are urging hotels to refuse unverified remote access, update their cyber security infrastructure, and train staff to recognize social engineering tactics.
Damage beyond money: trust in luxury tourism at risk
This attack has not only affected the hotels’ finances, but risks undermining the trust of international customers in one of Europe’s most prestigious destinations.
A concrete threat to the reputation of Lake Como, where every stay is often synonymous with excellence, exclusivity and safety.
Questions and answers
- How did hackers steal money from the hotels?
They pretended to be IT technicians, gained remote access, and installed malware to steal customer payments. - Which hotels were affected?
At least two luxury hotels on Lake Como have confirmed the breach; more cases may emerge. - Can customers recover their lost money?
It depends on hotel insurance policies and the payment method used. - What is a trojan?
A trojan is malware that allows attackers to remotely access and control infected systems. - Why are virtual credit cards used for hotel deposits?
They secure payment in advance and protect the hotel against no-shows or cancellations. - How can hotels protect themselves?
Never allow unverified remote access, use modern firewalls, updated antivirus software, and multi-factor authentication. - Were customer data also compromised?
Likely yes—personal and payment information may have been exposed. - Who is handling the investigation?
The investigation is being led by the Cybercrime Unit of the Como Police. - Are these types of attacks common?
Yes, especially in sectors handling high-value transactions like hospitality and finance. - What should hotels do now?
Train staff, secure systems, and verify the identity of anyone requesting access to IT infrastructure.
