Booking.com Targeted in EU Investigation Into Phishing Scams, Fraudulent Listings
EU regulators will examine whether Booking.com failed to curb fake listings, phishing and paid boosts, with possible fines reaching 6% of global turnover.
- On Wednesday, the European Commission launched an investigation into Booking under the Digital Services Act to determine if the platform adequately mitigates fraudulent listings and phishing scams.
- A Dutch consumers report recorded a "tenfold" increase in fraud notifications this year compared to 2025, with losses in the region of €82,000 on Booking.
- The Commission is examining whether Booking properly identified risks from fake listings and impersonation fraud, while investigating if paid "boosted listings" are clearly identifiable as advertisements.
- Under the Digital Services Act, Booking Holdings could face fines of up to 6 per cent of global annual turnover if officials conclude anti-fraud measures are "absolutely substandard."
- EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen stated, "Europeans should be able to book their holidays without fear of being scammed," as the Commission conducts an "in-depth investigation as a matter of priority.
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The European Commission has launched an investigation into whether the online travel booking platform Booking (Booking.com) violated the European Union's proposals and sufficiently exploited vulnerabilities and fraud by phishing, according to data in Brussels.
EU investigates Booking.com over fake listings and phishing scams
The European Commission on Wednesday announced that it has opened formal proceedings against Booking.com to investigate whether the accommodation platform breached EU digital rules by failing to tackle fraudulent property listings and phishing scams, and by not clearly identifying paid-for search results as advertisements. The investigation will assess whether the company complied with the Digital […]
At the centre of the investigation, compliance with the Digital Services Act.
The Dutch travel portal should not have done enough against fraudsters on the platform. Also the protection of sensitive data and transparency in paid advertising are examined.
The European Commission has launched an official investigation into the popular Booking.com travel portal.
Brussels also blames the site for a potential failure to comply with its advertising transparency obligations, with regard to "boosted" ads, a paid function that gives institutions a better visibility on the platform. This is the first procedure launched by the EU for the Dutch-based platform (and subsidiary of the US group Booking Holdings), under the powerful European Digital Services Act, the DSA. "Europeans must be able to book their holiday…
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