Small hospitality businesses are big targets for cybercrime. INTERPOL warned that ransomware was highest in South Africa in 2024, with phishing and other scams hitting hotels, guest houses and B&Bs. These online security tips for hospitality will help you spot common tricks and protect your business, staff, and guest data.
Booking details, payments, and guest info are valuable to criminals. Keeping safe online isn’t complicated. With the right habits, you’ll avoid financial losses, protect guest trust and keep daily operations running smoothly.
Read more: Interpol report warns of sharp rise in cybercrime in Africa
Phishing emails: online security tips for hospitality.
Phishing emails pretend to come from banks, booking platforms, or payment providers. They use urgent language to scare you into clicking a link or sharing details.
Real story: A B&B owner got an email saying their Booking.com payment failed. The link looked almost right, but hovering showed the URL was wrong. Clicking would’ve handed the scammer their login.
❗Spot it / Stop it:
- Check the sender’s email address carefully.
- Be alert to pushy phrases like “Immediate action required”.
- Hover over links before clicking.
- Never share logins or payment info by email.
- Watch for generic greetings like “Dear Customer”.
- Use spam filters to block dodgy messages.
- Save trusted contacts and tell your team to compare before acting.
Prevent business email compromise.
With business email compromise (BEC), scammers hijack or spoof your email to send guests “new” bank details. Their aim: redirect payments meant for you. The result can be both costly and reputationally damaging.
Real story: A lodge’s email was spoofed. Guests got a fake invoice with “updated” bank details. Luckily, one guest phoned to check before paying.
❗Spot it / Stop it:
- Let guests know your bank details never change.
- Add a note on invoices asking guests to confirm unusual instructions.
- Protect email with strong passwords and two‑factor authentication.
- Set alerts for unusual outgoing transfers.
- Rotate who handles payments.
- Always double‑check banking changes through a set process.
Payment fraud in hospitality: online security tips.
Scammers send supplier invoices that look almost real. They’re timed for busy periods so staff don’t notice small differences.
Real story: A guest house nearly paid for linen they never ordered. The account number was slightly off, but the receptionist spotted it and phoned the real supplier.
❗Spot it / Stop it:
- Compare bank details with your own records.
- Look for small design differences (logos, fonts, layout).
- Phone suppliers using numbers you know.
- Keep a master list of real supplier contacts.
- Match invoices with purchase orders before approving.
- Train staff to slow down and check.
Booking platform scams.
Criminals pose as Booking.com or other platforms via email or WhatsApp. They’ll ask you to “verify” details and grab your login. Once inside, they can hijack accounts, cancel bookings, and steal payments.
Real story: A B&B got a WhatsApp saying it was Booking.com asking to confirm bank details. They recognised it as fake and reported it.
❗Spot it / Stop it:
- Booking.com won’t message you on WhatsApp.
- Check if emails really come from @booking.com.
- Don’t click login links — go straight to the site or app directly.
- Bookmark the real login page for staff.
- Educate your team about impersonation scams.
- Review account activity often.
Malware threats: online security tips for hospitality managers.
Malware often arrives disguised as a pop‑up offering a “fix.” One click, and malware can steal data, track keystrokes, or take control of your system.
Real story: A lodge manager got a pop‑up warning their system was infected. Instead of clicking, they ran antivirus — it turned out to be a scam.
❗Spot it / stop it:
- Treat surprise pop‑ups with suspicion.
- Close them without pressing “OK” or “Cancel.”
- Keep antivirus and software updated.
- Never download from unknown sources.
- Back up booking data regularly.
- Use staff accounts with limited rights.
- Consider browser tools that block malicious ads.
Fake websites and deceptive links.
Criminals don’t just send dodgy emails, they also manipulate search results, ads, and clever links to trick you into handing over information.
Real story: A guest house searched for NightsBridge and almost clicked on “nichtsbridge.com.” with a ‘c’ instead of a ‘g’ in the ‘night’. Luckily, they spotted the typo in the sponsored ad and used their saved bookmark instead.
❗Spot it / Stop it:
- Hover before you click. Always preview links to check the real web address. If it looks off, don’t click.
- Scrutinise sponsored links. Ads at the top of Google aren’t always safe. Look closely for typos or fake names.
- Question everything. Ask: Do I know this sender? Do I actually need to do this? Does this fit how we usually handle it?
- Bank securely. Do payments or banking changes only inside your official banking app or website — never by email or WhatsApp instructions.
- Type or bookmark addresses. Don’t rely on search results; save trusted sites.
- Check for 🔒. The padlock shows a site is encrypted, but only trust it if the web address is correct.
- Train your team often. Awareness slips easily — regular refreshers help.
Simple online security tips for hospitality businesses.
- Use strong passwords. Mix letters, numbers and symbols. Change them often.
- Switch on two‑factor authentication (2FA). This blocks criminals even if they know your password.
- Train your team. Share scam examples and test knowledge regularly.
- Keep systems updated. Always install updates for browsers, devices and antivirus.
- Check bank details twice. Confirm account numbers with suppliers or guests before paying.
❗Extra quick wins:
- Use a password manager.
- Encrypt laptops and mobiles.
- Restrict sensitive data to “need‑to‑know” staff.
- Refresh training each quarter.
- Keep a log of unusual activity to spot fraud early.
Final word.
Cybercrime is real, and small hospitality businesses are easy targets. Using these online security tips for hospitality will help protect your property, your team, and your guest data without making things complicated.
At NightsBridge, we take care of the tech behind your bookings. But keeping your digital door locked is up to you.