Accommodation Scams in Windhoek

Accommodation Overbooking and Deposit Loss

A small number of unlicensed guesthouses and "budget lodges" advertised on informal Facebook groups and local classified boards in Katutura and the city outskirts take NAD 500–1,500 deposits via EFT (bank transfer), then are unreachable on the day of arrival or claim the booking was cancelled due to a "system error." The listings use photographs stolen from legitimate properties and show glowing reviews from accounts created days earlier.