A malicious hacker has left a devastated bride-to-be and her hens' party out of pocket after they tried to book a holiday home online during the peak December period.
The HolidayHouses website, an offshoot of Trade Me, was attacked by a "phishing" scam.
The ruse hit the group of 10 Auckland women who thought they had booked a bach in Onetangi this weekend.
The booking was made in December and the women paid $1990 into a British bank account last Wednesday.
When they rang on Monday to confirm the booking, the owner did not know about it and said the house had been let to others for the long weekend.