Bali Tourists Warned To Be Vigilant Booking Hotels Online After Google Hack 

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Dozens, potentially hundreds of Bali-based hotels and guesthouses, may have had their Google Business accounts hijacked during a hack on the company’s digital systems.

Tourists are warned to be extra vigilant when making bookings, and Google, cyber security teams, and the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association are working together to understand the scale of the issue and create solutions as quickly as possible. 

Google has confirmed that its system has been breached, impacting Google Business profiles for several hotels in Indonesia.

In a statement published on X, formerly known as Twitter, the tech giant wrote, “Our policy clearly states that proposed changes from users must be based on real information, and our team works around the clock to counter activity that violates policy.”

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The situation was first discovered by the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) on Monday, 12th August.

They released findings that stated that an as yet to be established number of hotels in various regions of Indonesia had experienced falsification of data on their Google Business accounts on Sunday 11th August.

The General Chair of the PHRI, Hariyadi BS Sukamdani, explained that this hack has impacted many Indonesian provinces, including Bali.

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In an online press conference held on Monday, the 12th, Hariyadi said, “It happened in a number of areas; previously it was reported that in East Java 92 hotels were affected, in Central Java 156 hotels, in Lampung eight hotels, and we are still collecting data in other areas.”

The hack has resulted in false information being displayed on a huge number of Google Business hotel listings. Tourists are advised to contact hotels directly in order to double-check their bookings and any information displayed on the Google Business listing.

The Hotel Association Chairman also appealed to the Indonesian public and tourists to be more vigilant and ensure hotel reservations are made through official channels to avoid fraud.

In Central Java alone, it was reported that ten prospective travelers had become victims of fraud due to the falsification of this data.

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In a separate statement, the Deputy Chairman of PHRI Bali, I Gusti Agung Ngurah Rai Suryawijaya, stated that the hack had become a hot topic of conversation.

He said, “Indeed, it is related to the hacking of the hotel reservation system in several areas, including those in Bali. However, no one has officially reported it to the association in Badung Regency or Bali.”

It may take some time to establish the extent of the damage caused by the hack, and it may even take time for hotels, guesthouses, private villas, and other accommodation providers in Bali who use Google Business to establish where and how the hack has affected their accounts. 

In anticipation of accommodation providers in Bali establishing that they have been implicated in the hack as this news travels and more information becomes available, Suryawijaya has ensured that all support is on standby to help businesses navigate through this crisis.

He said, “I urge the affected hotels to immediately coordinate with the Cyber Sub-Directorate of the Bali Police so that the dangers and impacts can be immediately analyzed.”

As the high season is starting to come to a close in Bali, thousands of tourists are still arriving every day.

Many of them have made bookings with hotels that use Google Business or are booking accommodation as they go, as the impacts of the hack are still being resolved. 

Suryawijaya shared his concerns with reporters that disruption to reservation systems could significantly affect hotel operations.

He emphasized the importance of cooperation between accommodation providers, tourism businesses, and affected travellers and the cyber department to deal with this problem effectively.

Suryawijaya concluded that since a hack like this has never happened before in Bali, especially in Badung Regency, the province has to learn and implement solutions and preventions in real time.