A 32-year-old woman lost more than €2,200 in an online accommodation scam, police said on Wednesday.

The woman reported the case to Nicosia police on Tuesday, saying she had booked accommodation through an online platform on August 4.

Later that day, an unknown person contacted her, claiming to be the accommodation provider.

He allegedly persuaded her to cancel the original booking and make a new reservation through another online travel platform, sending her a link.

The woman followed the link and on August 11 transferred more than €2,200 to a bank account provided to her.

She received no booking confirmation and later realised she had been defrauded.

The case is being investigated by the Economic Crime Investigation Unit of the Nicosia Financial Crimes Investigation Unit.

Police urged the public to be cautious when making online accommodation bookings and not to respond to suspicious messages or payment requests.

Anyone receiving such a message should contact the hotel or accommodation provider directly using official contact details and avoid making payments through links sent by message or email without checking their authenticity.

Police also advised anyone who has entered bank card details through a suspicious link to contact their bank immediately and cancel the card.