Is This Legit?
Got an email, message, or letter that feels off? Paste it below or snap a photo, and we’ll tell you in plain English whether it’s real or a scam. Free, from your team at Houseful.
🔒 Nothing you paste is stored or shared. Ever.
Checking this for you…
Reading the message
Here’s why:
✅ What you should do
Not sure how it works? Try a real example
🚫 Never click first
Check before you click any link or call any number in a message you weren’t expecting.
💳 Guard your payment info
Real companies never ask you to “re-enter” card details or logins through an email link.
🐢 Slow down
Urgency is the #1 scam trick. Anything real will still be real tomorrow.
The scams targeting hospitality operators right now
If you run a hotel, vacation rental, restaurant, or tour company, scammers are targeting you on purpose. You handle guest payments, you rely on booking platforms, and you’re busy. Here’s what’s landing in inboxes and mailboxes this year:
The fake Booking.com or Airbnb “suspension”
An email says your listing has been suspended over a payment or verification issue, with a link to “restore” it. The link steals your extranet login, and then the scammers message your real guests asking them to pay outside the platform. Real platform emails come from the platform’s own domain, and you can always check by typing the extranet address into your browser yourself.
The domain expiration letter
A very official-looking letter arrives in the mail saying your website domain is about to expire, with a payment slip for $200–300. It’s not a bill. It’s a solicitation designed to look like one, and the price is 15–20 times what a domain actually costs. If we manage your website, your renewals are already handled.
The Google listing phone call
Someone calls claiming to be “from Google” saying your business listing will be removed unless you verify and pay. Google doesn’t cold-call businesses and never charges for listings.
The overpayment or fake group booking
A “guest” books a large stay or event, overpays by check, then asks you to refund the difference before the check bounces. Any overpayment plus refund request is a scam, every time.
The hacked friend on Facebook
A message from a friend’s account about a grant, prize, or investment they “already got theirs” from. The friend’s account is hacked. Contact them another way and let them know.
Not sure about something you received? That’s exactly what the checker above is for. And if you’re still unsure, text us or send it over on WhatsApp. We’d rather spend two minutes looking at it with you than have you spend two weeks untangling a compromised card.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. It’s a free tool for our clients and any hospitality operator who needs it. No signup, no catch.
No. Your message is analyzed and the result is returned to you. Nothing is saved or shared.
It means we couldn’t confirm the message is real, so treat it as suspicious. Contact the company directly using a phone number or web address you already know is real, not one from the message.
Act fast: call your bank using the number on the back of your card, change the password on the affected account, and turn on two-factor login if it’s available. Then text us or reach out on WhatsApp and we’ll help you figure out what else to lock down.
It’s a guide, not a guarantee. It’s deliberately cautious, so it may flag a real message as suspicious now and then. When in doubt, contact the company through its official website or your existing account, never through the message itself.
Still not 100% sure? Don’t guess.
Text us or message us on WhatsApp at (817) 908-8465 and we’ll look at it with you, free. Or forward the email to hello@housefulhospitality.com and we’ll take it from there.