A hotel in Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina, has reported a fraudulent Facebook profile that uses its name, logo and address to promote a fake betting app, according to the hotel's manager, Guido Bavio.
The establishment, Hotel Austral, has filed a complaint with Meta, warning the public not to download the application because it could be used to steal sensitive personal data.
The fake profile operates under the name "Hotel Austral y Casino" and encourages users to download a mobile betting app. Bavio said the page copies the hotel's branding and address but replaces its contact information, while also using a photograph of a different property, Hotel Lucania, alongside Hotel Austral's logo.
Bavio said the hotel discovered the fake profile last week and has already reported it to Meta, requesting that the page be taken down. He said the profile reproduces the hotel's original logo and address but alters its phone contact details.
He said: "Obviously that is a false identity. It's most likely a scam designed to take data or sensitive information from your phone."
He said the operators behind the scheme used a photograph of a different property, Hotel Lucania, combined with Austral's logo. Bavio said: "They post confusing photos, photos with the Lucania."
According to the hotel, the fake profile relies on the speed at which people consume social media content, discouraging users from scrutinizing posts before acting. Bavio added: "The problem is that in this new way we consume social media, taking a minute is a luxury nobody allows themselves. Everything happens in three or four seconds, in which you decide to install this application or click one time too many."
Bavio stated: "This is the first time we've seen this, that we've detected it, and we filed the report with Meta to have the profile taken down. Nothing was stolen from me, because I didn't click."
According to the hotel's manager, the scammers combined a photograph of a different property, Hotel Lucania, with the Austral's logo to build the fake page
