Spanish police arrest hacker for 1-cent hotel bookings

Spanish police have arrested a 20-year-old hacker who allegedly exploited a payment validation system to book luxury hotel stays for just one cent. The suspect also reportedly consumed mini-bar items without paying, based on information published by The Register.

The hacker targeted an online booking website, manipulating its payment validation system to appear as if full payment was made, while only a single cent was actually processed. This allowed him to secure hotel reservations valued at thousands of euros.

Police investigations began after the booking platform reported suspicious activity. The fraudster allegedly stayed at hotels multiple times, costing one business over €20,000. The attack method is described by police as novel, with this being the first detected instance of its kind.

Source: The Register