Newsroom
Spanish authorities have detained a 20-year-old man accused of exploiting a weakness in an online hotel booking system to secure high-end accommodation for almost nothing.
According to Spain’s National Police, the suspect allegedly tampered with the payment verification process used by an electronic payment platform. By manipulating the way transactions were validated, he was able to make reservations appear fully paid even though only a token charge, as little as one cent, was actually processed. Some of the rooms involved reportedly cost up to 1,000 euros per night.
Police described the scheme as a new type of cybercrime, saying it was the first time they had encountered an attack specifically aimed at altering payment validation in this way.
Investigators also claim the man took advantage of hotel services during his stays, including consuming minibar items, and in some cases left additional charges unpaid.
At the time of his arrest, he was reportedly staying in a luxury hotel in Madrid under a four-night booking worth around 4,000 euros. Authorities said he had stayed at the same hotel on multiple occasions, with total losses exceeding 20,000 euros.
The case came to light after a booking website alerted police earlier this month to unusual activity. While the transactions initially appeared normal, the problem was discovered days later when the payment platform transferred only the small amounts actually charged, revealing that the reservations had not been properly paid.
