Booking.com targeted in EU investigation into phishing scams, fraudulent listings

EU Investigates Booking.com Over Phishing and Fraudulent Listing Concerns

EU Scrutiny of Booking.com’s Compliance with Digital Services Act

By Foo Yun Chee

Background of the Investigation

BRUSSELS, Oct 21 (Reuters) - EU tech regulators will investigate whether online hotel reservation website Booking.com is doing enough to weed out fraudulent listings and phishing scams to comply with EU online content rules, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

The Commission, which is the EU tech and competition enforcer, said it opened an investigation following a preliminary probe and after analysing risk assessment reports submitted by Booking.com this year and the previous three years.

Requirements Under the Digital Services Act

Big online platforms are required to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content on their sites under the bloc's Digital Services Act, or risk fines of as much as 6% of their global annual turnover for violations.

Booking.com’s Response

Booking.com said it was engaging constructively with the Commission. "Security, trust and the protection of personal information are top priorities at Booking.com," a spokesperson for the company said.

"We remain committed to working with relevant governments, regulators, law enforcement and industry partners to combat cybercrime and online fraud, and protect travelers and partners."

Key Areas of the EU Investigation

Fake Listings and Impersonation Fraud

The EU investigation will focus on fake listings — such as for non-existent properties — impersonation fraud and non-compliant accommodation offers, and whether Booking.com has properly identified, assessed and mitigated the systemic risks related to these.

Phishing Scams and Data Exploitation

Regulators will also look into phishing scams exploiting Booking.com's reservation and guest data shared with accommodation providers, the Commission said.

Transparency of Paid Listings

A third element will be paid-for boosted listings not clearly identifiable as advertisements. Booking.com is part of Booking Holdings.

Statements from EU Officials

Consumer Protection Emphasis

"Europeans should be able to book their holidays without fear of being scammed," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement.

Platform Responsibilities Under DSA

"The Digital Services Act sets clear responsibilities on platforms to address these risks, and we must ensure that the leading booking platform in Europe takes those responsibilities seriously," she said.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Jan Harvey)