Marriott scams
Last updated September 19, 2026
The short answer
The Marriott scam to know is the front-desk call: a call to your hotel room at night saying the card on file failed and asking you to read it out. It is routed from outside the hotel. Hang up and go to the desk in person.
The room-phone call is an old scam that still works, because a call to your room appears to come from the front desk and arrives when you are half asleep and disoriented in an unfamiliar place. It costs a scammer nothing to dial a hotel and ask for a room number. The second thread is Bonvoy points, which are a real currency with weak protections, on accounts secured by a password people set years ago.
How Marriott scams work
- 1
The front-desk call
Late at night, the room phone rings. "The front desk" says the card on file was declined and asks you to read the number, expiry and security code to avoid interruption. The call came from outside the hotel.
- 2
Bonvoy points theft
Phishing captures account credentials, then points are transferred or redeemed. Points have no chargeback protection and reinstatement is discretionary.
- 3
Lookalike booking sites
Sites resembling Marriott take bookings that do not exist or charge enormous fees, and buy search ads above the real site.
- 4
Fake room-service and delivery menus
Flyers slipped under doors with a phone number for food delivery, which takes card details and delivers nothing.
Warning signs
- A call to your room asks for card details
- The call comes late at night
- A flyer under your door has a phone number for food delivery
- An email says your Bonvoy points are expiring within days
- A booking site is not marriott.com
- You are asked for the card's security code over the phone
- The caller will not let you come to the desk instead
Examples
1:40am, front desk
A guest's room phone rings at 1:40am. "The front desk" apologises: the card on file was declined and needs re-entering to avoid checkout problems. He reads the full number, expiry and security code. The card is used for $6,200 of purchases within hours. The hotel had made no such call.
Points redeemed overnight
A "verify your Bonvoy account" email leads to a convincing login. 340,000 points are transferred and redeemed for stays in another country. Points carry no chargeback right, and reinstatement depended on the hotel group agreeing.
What to do
- Never give card details over a hotel room phone. Go to the desk in person.
- Ignore flyers under the door. Order through the hotel directly.
- Turn on two-factor on your Bonvoy account and use a unique password.
- Book only at marriott.com or through the app.
- If you gave card details, cancel the card immediately and tell the hotel.
Report it to Marriott
Report to the hotel in person and to Marriott customer support. Tell the front desk — the scam is usually being run against several rooms that night.
Getting your money back
Cancel the card at once and dispute the charges, which are covered as fraudulent. Tell the front desk in person: the same call is usually being made to several rooms that night, and the hotel can warn other guests. For stolen points, contact Marriott the same day — there is no chargeback right, so reinstatement depends on reporting before redemption. Change the Bonvoy password and anywhere it was reused, and turn on two-factor.
Frequently asked questions
Would a hotel ever call my room for card details?
No. A genuine payment problem is handled at the desk, in person, with the card present. Any call to your room asking you to read out a card number is a scam, no matter how apologetic or plausible it sounds.
How do scammers know my room number?
They do not need to. They call the hotel and ask to be connected to a room number, or dial through a range. It costs nothing and only one guest in many needs to answer. Late-night calls are chosen because people are least alert.
Are hotel loyalty points worth protecting?
Yes — a large Bonvoy balance is worth thousands of dollars and has none of the protection a credit card has. Treat the account as a financial one: unique password, two-factor authentication, and a periodic look at the balance.
Other companies scammers impersonate
Scams reuse their scripts across brands. If you were contacted about Marriott, these are the guides worth reading next.