EU Opens Investigation Into Booking.com Over Fake Listings and Travel Scams

European regulators have launched an investigation into Booking.com, alleging the accommodation site has failed to adequately shield consumers from fake listings and fraud.

The European Commission said Booking.com may have violated the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), calling its handling of fraudulent listings and phishing scams "absolutely substandard." One official said the company takes some measures but could go much further, with far more solid systems to prevent fraud.

Investigators will also look at whether Booking.com breached advertising transparency rules by not clearly telling users that some properties paid to appear more prominently.

Under the DSA, companies can be fined up to 6% of worldwide annual turnover. The commission stressed that opening the probe does not prejudge its outcome.

Booking.com, headquartered in Amsterdam and claiming 28 million listings, said it was engaging constructively and that security, trust and personal data protection are top priorities.

The inquiry follows research by UK consumer group Which?, which exposed security lapses after setting up and accepting payment for a fake stay at 10 Downing Street. Officials are examining similar scams involving less prominent addresses, plus "reservation hijacks" in which criminals use hacked data to impersonate accommodation providers and request payments, including via WhatsApp and Booking.com's own platform.

The Dutch consumer association Consumentenbond said it received 200 scam reports costing €65,000 involving Booking.com in 2025, up from 89 reports worth €25,000 the year before, calling these "just the tip of the iceberg."

Agustín Reyna of the pan-European consumer group BEUC welcomed the investigation, calling it a systemic problem. Commission tech policy chief Henna Virkkunen said Europeans should be able to book holidays without fear of being scammed, and that the DSA sets clear responsibilities platforms must take seriously.