‘Your reservation is at risk': beware the Booking.com scam
You've booked the hotel and you're starting to look forward to your break when you get a message telling you to make a payment, or give your credit card details, to secure your holiday. It's come through the Booking.com app, or in an email that looks legitimate, so you get out your credit card in panic and pay.
As the summer holidays get into full swing many of us are primed to hear from travel providers – making it open season for scammers.
One of many holiday-related frauds preys on customers who have booked somewhere to stay via the platform Booking.com, either via its website or app.
In the UK, Action Fraud received 532 reports of the scam between June 2023 and September 2024, with victims losing a total of £370,000.
It says that it is likely hackers are using phishing attacks against accommodation providers and then using the details to contact customers – sometimes via WhatsApp but often through the real Booking.com platform. This means the usual things to look out for – odd email addresses, or texts, may not apply.
Cases seen by Guardian Money have typically involved the theft of several hundred pounds.
The global nature of the platform means it can happen to you wherever in the world you live, or plan to holiday. Regulators in countries including Australia have warned of the issue.
Booking.com said: 'Unfortunately, there is an increasing number of online scams targeting many businesses operating in the e-commerce space. With the rise of AI, cybercriminals are able to create increasingly sophisticated scams.'
It said continually invested in cybersecurity technology, and incidents on the platform were rare.
The message may say that your payment details need to be verified, or that there has been a problem with your card. It will try to make you panic by telling you your accommodation will be cancelled if you don't respond – it will probably give you a deadline to act by – usually a few hours away.
There will be a link in the message for you to click on to give your card details.
A separate scam also preying on would-be holidaymakers involves fake Booking.com web pages which are used to trick people into downloading a malicious file that gives criminals full control of your device.
The technology firm HP Wolf Security says scammers are emailing links to the pages and visitors are asked to accept cookies before they can see the full site – it is when they press 'accept' that the file downloads.
A payment, or credit card details which the scammers say will just be used to pre-authorise or verify the card before your stay. They then charge it.
Try not to panic about your holiday and don't respond until you've checked the message is genuine.
Booking.com advises: 'Always double-check the property's payment policies listed on the booking page or in your confirmation email. If there is no pre-payment policy or deposit requirement outlined, but you're asked to pay in advance to secure your booking, it is likely a scam.'
If you are in doubt, contact Booking.com's customer service team and/or the accommodation provider directly.
Be suspicious of any links you are sent. Genuine payments will be made on the Booking.com app or website – you won't be sent to another site.
Look out for common fraud tactics and giveaways. 'Scam messages often include urgent language and may contain spelling or grammar errors,' Booking.com says.
If you have put your card details into a site, call your card provider. You may need to block or cancel your card.
Booking.com also advises enabling two-factor authorisation on your account
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
44 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Police pushing for almost £3,000 in legal fees from grieving domestic abuse campaigner
A grieving domestic abuse campaigner is being chased for almost £3,000 of legal fees by a 'vindictive' police force after she took them to court over her niece's death. Lorna McMahon claimed Greater Manchester Police (GMP) had neglected to investigate the potential role of domestic violence in the case of her family member Teresa McMahon, who was found dead in her flat in August 2021 aged 43. She suggested the force should have looked more deeply into the impact of her niece's former partner Robert Chalmers. But an inquest disagreed and ruled that Teresa, who had been an ITV journalist, took her own life and 'no other person forced her to do that'. Following a watchdog's decision to refuse her request for a reinvestigation, Ms McMahon lost a legal action. Now GMP are chasing £2,778.40 in legal fees despite being urged by a High Court judge to think 'very carefully' about whether this was a good idea, the Telegraph reports. Judge Matthew Butt KC denied the aunt's application for the costs order to be delayed until all matters regarding the 'inadequate investigation' into her niece's death had finished. He confirmed he did not possess the power to grant such a request but said the heartbreaking circumstances of the case called into question whether it was right to pursue the legal costs. The judge said: 'I would urge the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to consider very carefully whether, in all of the circumstances, it would be right to seek to enforce the costs order against Ms McMahon given the tragic death of her beloved niece, the recent death of Teresa's mother, Barbara, the health problems Ms McMahon suffers from, and her limited means.' He added he had been impressed by the 'dedication, eloquence and determination' of the aunt in her bid to secure a reinvestigation. Judge Butt continued: 'I have also read a letter to the claimant from Queen Camilla in which she expresses how she is full of admiration for her work.' The IOPC decided not to chase the costs but GMP pushed on with retrieving the legal fees from Ms McMahon. In a letter to the force, she wrote: 'I find it absolutely vexatious and vindictive that GMP's police chief, Stephen Watson, appears to have singled me out when choosing to enforce this particular cost order, especially since Mr Justice Matthew Butt urged GMP not to pursue the cost order made against me considering all the circumstances.' Teresa, a news editor at Granada News, was found dead in her flat in Little Hulton, Salford. She had reported broken fingers, and even potentially a broken rib, to GMP before her death. The journalist was 'mistakenly' told by an officer that she was not entitled to receive information about Chalmers' alleged history of domestic abuse because they were no longer in a relationship, the inquest heard. The force then attempted to contact her to inform her she might be entitled to the details under Clare's Law but it received no reply. Chalmers denied either physically hurting Teresa or trying to control her, during video evidence given after his arrest for failing to attend her London inquest. He admitted, however, that their relationship had been volatile. A GMP spokesman said: 'Our thoughts remain with Mrs. McMahon after the tragic death of her niece and while officers worked tirelessly to provide her with answers, we recognise we weren't able to provide the closure she was seeking despite the thousands of hours spent reviewing complaints and opening new investigations. 'We always carefully consider the circumstances of individuals when seeking to recover costs lawfully ordered by the court. As a public body, the force must balance these considerations against its obligations to protect scarce public funds.'
Daily Mail
44 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The secrets behind England's U21 success: No holds barred chats with Ashley Cole, team bonding meals at Wagamama and Oasis hits spur on Young Lions to retain championship
It is the day before the European Championship final and while some players and staff are out exploring Bratislava for the final time, Lee Carsley is sat in the waterfront Sheraton hotel inspecting a list. Specifically it's a list of players who are going to be eligible for the Under-21's at the 2027 Euros in Albania.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
A day in the life of a tennis star at Wimbledon: Brit DAN EVANS reveals all... from sushi to taped feet
Let's start with where I'm staying. One of the things that makes this fortnight unique is that most players, certainly Brits and big names, tend to rent apartments or houses in Wimbledon Village rather than stay in hotels. There's a website where people rent out their homes for the tournament - every year there's a dash for the best places! The top boys will get a big house for their whole team and tend to stay in the same place each year. We've got a nice place, just me and my wife Aleah, and it's just a walk across the common to the All England Club.
