EKOSTAY - Winterfell Chalet Villa

I am writing this review to warn Booking.com about a fraudulent listing that I encountered. It is disheartening to see how scammers are taking advantage of unsuspecting tourists, and it is essential to share my experience to prompt Booking.com to take immediate action and prevent others from falling victim to this deceitful scheme. During my recent trip, I booked what seemed to be a fantastic deal on Booking.com (EKOSTAY - Winterfell Chalet Villa, Coonoor, Tamil Nadu) for a villa that appeared to be highly rated and located in a good area. The booking process went smoothly, and I received a confirmation email with all the necessary details. However, upon arriving at the designated location, I was shocked to discover that the villa did not exist and that I had been scammed. On trying to call the property owner, she declined the call and urged us to chat over WhatsApp and never picked up a call, not even a WhatsApp call where she seemed active. Moreover, the owner constantly demanded a complete 10K payment(only via NEFT) without even letting us see the property(which actually didn't even exist). Luckily we reached the location before making any payment, which saved us a ton of money and discomfort. What troubles me the most is that the fraudulent listing was able to bypass Booking.com's verification process. It is evident that scammers are becoming more sophisticated in their techniques, and it is crucial for platforms like Booking.com to strengthen their security measures to protect users from such fraudulent activities. I urge Booking.com to enhance its screening procedures to ensure the legitimacy of listings on its platform. This incident has left me feeling betrayed and distrustful of the booking process. This unfortunate incident has shattered that trust. I hope my review prompts Booking.com to act immediately to prevent such fraudulent listings from appearing on their platform.