Tourists visiting Budapest should now be even more careful: fraudsters are collecting tourist tax from visitors. For this, they use a fake site.
According to Daily News Hungary, the fake site “Gateway for paying taxes of local authorities of the capital Budapest” is a copy of the official portal. However, as the mayor’s office of the Hungarian capital later stated, unlike cybercriminals, the authorities do not collect taxes from tourists who book accommodation in the city.
It was clarified that the warning of the authorities was published after attempts to collect tax from tourists living in Budapest appeared in the postal system of one of the world’s largest electronic booking companies. The official statement emphasized that the tourist tax is collected exclusively from accommodation providers by the district municipalities responsible for the location of the accommodation being rented out. In response to suspicions of fraud, the capital’s chief notary filed a complaint to block the dangerous site.
Background: Budapest, divided into two parts by the Danube River, is attractive to tourists for several reasons:
- The metropolis has a rich historical heritage – the Buda Castle, the Fisherman’s Bastion, and the Parliament.
- There are thermal springs.
- World-class cultural events are held in the Opera Theater and the Museum of Fine Arts.
- Beautiful nature and convenient infrastructure: picturesque embankments of the Danube River, Chain Bridge.
- Hungarian cuisine: goulash, langos, and desserts delight gourmets.