Holidaymakers have been warned to watch out after hundreds of Booking.com customers fell victim to a hotel payment scam with losses totalling at least £370,000. Fraudsters are known to have taken control of hotel accounts on the Booking.com app before sending out requests messages, emails, and WhatsApps requesting credit card details and payments.
Customers who have genuine holiday bookings have been drawn into the scam, believing the hotel itself was making contact. Action Fraud, the national team within City of London Police which is responsible for tackling online scams, has now issued a fresh warning to people booking holidays online.
The force said more than 500 reports of this fraud were lodged between June 2023 and September last year, with losses of £370,000. It is believed so-called ‘phishing’ attacks – used to gain access to online accounts by deception – have been targeted at individual hotels and holiday providers in order for criminals to get into the system.
Victims then received unexpected messages and emails, apparently from a genuine Booking.com account where they had a real reservation, asking for money or sensitive banking details. “With more than 500 reports made to Action Fraud, those who have booked a holiday on the Booking.com platform should stay alert to any unexpected emails or messages from a hotel using the Booking.com platform, as their account could have been taken over by a criminal”, said Adam Mercer, Deputy Head of Action Fraud.
“If you receive an unexpected request from a hotel’s account you booked with using Booking.com, asking for bank details or credit card details, it could be a fraudster trying to trick you into parting ways with your money. Contact Booking.com or the organisation directly if you’re unsure.
