Booking.com faces criticism over fake listings

Booking.com has been criticised for its handling of fake property listings after customers attempting to book 'The London Crown apartments' were instead directed to The Liberty Bounds, a Wetherspoons pub located near Tower Bridge. The consumer watchdog Which? reported that pub staff were frequently turning away as many as 20 tourists each day.

Scammers exploit legitimate accounts

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Which? said it became aware of the issue after being alerted to multiple reports from consumers about fraudulent listings created by scammers. In one instance, Paul Dawson, 55, from Loughborough, booked a one-night stay for himself, his wife, and daughter at The London Crown apartments for £73. Two days later, he received an email from the fake apartment listing containing a link to a fraudulent Booking.com page requesting his bank details. Mr Dawson contacted Booking.com suspecting a scam, but was reportedly told he would need to visit the non-existent property and wait until after 7pm before an alternative could be found. He explained to support staff that he had autistic children and arriving at a non-existent property late at night would be catastrophic, but this did not alter their response.

The listing for The London Crown apartments remained visible on Booking.com on 23 September, accumulating over 250 negative reviews from August and September, alongside a small number of seemingly fake positive reviews, according to Which?. Many customers reported that they had informed Booking.com about the scam but felt their concerns were ignored. One customer stated they reported the issue three days before check-in, but Booking.com refused to take action. Another traveller from Spain complained of being left stranded with her friend in London at 2am with no accommodation.

Platform's AI also misled

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Booking.com's AI trip planner, Dot, also failed to identify the fraudulent listing. When asked by a Which? researcher if The London Crown was a scam, Dot responded that it was a legitimate property offering amenities such as free WiFi and parking, and was conveniently located near Longleat Safari Park, which is over a hundred miles from London. Which? also identified another listing, 'Apartments near Big Ben', which provided the address of Portcullis House, part of the Houses of Commons estate.

Booking.com's response

Booking.com informed Which? that both properties, which are legitimate and have hosted guests, were targeted by a sophisticated phishing attack. This attack compromised the properties' own computer systems, giving cybercriminals temporary, unauthorised access to their Booking.com accounts. Rory Boland, Which? Travel editor, stated that Booking.com's refusal to take scams seriously and its requirement for guests to attend properties even when advised they do not exist is reckless and risks people's safety. He added that the platform allows customers to bear financial and safety risks instead of taking action.

A Booking.com spokesperson said: “We take incidents like this extremely seriously, and suspended bookings at both properties, as well as supporting affected customers.” An Ofcom spokesman noted that platforms have legal duties to remove illegal content once aware and that the regulator would use its enforcement powers against platforms failing to comply with the Online Safety Act.