Booking.com prone to scammers due to weak security, warns watchdog

A lack of effective security measures is leaving Booking.com vulnerable to scammers, consumer champion Which? has warned.

Which? said the platform suffers from an easily hacked messaging system, failure to remove scam listings, and a lack of identity checks on property owners.

The watchdog’s findings, which come as the Online Safety Act‘s illegal codes are set to take effect later this month, found that Booking.com’s lax security policies make it easy for fraudsters to exploit travellers.

Booking.com was the most visited travel and tourism website globally in January 2025, according to Statista.

As part of its investigation, Which? was able to list a fake holiday home on the website in under 15 minutes.

Unlike rival platforms like AirBnb, Booking.com does not require any identity verification before allowing the listing to go live.

This lack…