The European Commission initiated a formal investigation into Booking.com, contending that the accommodation website breached the EU’s Digital Services Act by insufficiently addressing fake listings and fraud. Commission officials characterized the company’s current fraud prevention efforts as “absolutely substandard” and stated that Booking.com should implement more robust risk assessment procedures and protective systems as mandated under the legislation.
The investigation encompasses two main areas of concern. First, regulators are examining whether Booking.com failed to disclose that certain accommodation providers paid for increased visibility on the platform, potentially violating advertising transparency requirements. Second, officials are assessing various fraudulent schemes affecting consumers, including fake listings that victims discovered only upon arrival at properties, and “reservation hijacks” wherein criminals using compromised data impersonate legitimate accommodation providers to solicit payments through WhatsApp and the platform itself.
Recent cases documented by consumer organizations highlight the scope of the problem. The Dutch consumer association Consumentenbond reported receiving 200 fraud complaints involving the platform in 2025, representing losses of approximately €65,000 and marking a significant increase from 89 reports totaling €25,000 the previous year. Researchers at the UK consumer group Which? previously exposed security vulnerabilities by successfully creating and monetizing a fraudulent listing for 10 Downing Street. Officials are also evaluating whether Booking.com maintains adequate safeguards against misuse of customer data.
Booking.com, headquartered in Amsterdam with 28 million listed accommodations, stated it was cooperating with the commission and emphasized that security and consumer protection remain priorities. The company previously acknowledged observing a 500 to 900 percent increase in scams over an 18-month period, attributing the rise to generative AI tools enabling sophisticated fraudulent communications. Under the DSA, companies face potential fines of up to 6 percent of global annual revenue for violations.
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