EU Investigates Booking.com Over Fake Listings and Scams

The European Commission has opened an investigation into whether Booking.com, the online accommodation platform, has done enough to protect consumers from fake listings and scams. The Commission said on 21 October that the company may have breached the Digital Services Act, the EU's rulebook for large online platforms, through its approach to fraudulent listings and phishing scams. Phishing is fraud in which criminals pose as a trusted party to obtain personal details or payments.

A Commission official described Booking.com's approach to fraudulent listings and phishing as 'absolutely substandard'. The probe covers fake listings, including for properties that do not exist and for accommodation that does not comply with the rules, as well as impersonation fraud. Scammers, according to the Commission's concerns, use hacked data to pose as accommodation providers, including through WhatsApp and Booking.com's own platform. The Commission's news item on the investigation describes the scope in these terms.

EU officials will also examine whether Booking.com breached advertising transparency rules by potentially not making clear that some accommodation providers paid for higher visibility in search results.

The case builds on earlier steps. In September 2025, the Commission sent requests for information under the Digital Services Act to Apple, Booking.com, Google and Microsoft. In Booking.com's case, the concern was fake listings designed to trick users into making payments that never result in an actual booking. The investigation also follows a test by consumer researchers at Which?, who exposed security lapses by setting up, and accepting payment for, a fake offer to stay at 10 Downing Street.

The Dutch consumer association Consumentenbond reported receiving 200 complaints about Booking.com-related scams in 2025, costing about €65,000 in total. The previous year it had received 89 reports, worth about €25,000.

Under the Digital Services Act, a company can be fined up to 6% of its worldwide annual turnover if it is found to have breached the rules. The Commission said opening the investigation did not prejudge its outcome. The investigation has no fixed legal deadline for its conclusion.

Booking.com, which is headquartered in Amsterdam and claims 28 million accommodation listings, said it was engaging constructively with the Commission.