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EU launches formal investigation into Booking.com over fake properties, phishing scams and unlabelled paid ads in search results

Askaboutmoney.com founder Brendan Burgess lost more than €900 to a fake hotel email, as the EU launches a formal Digital Services Act probe into fraud on Booking.com.
Askaboutmoney.com founder Brendan Burgess lost more than €900 to a fake hotel email, as the EU launches a formal Digital Services Act probe into fraud on Booking.com.

The European Commission says suspected fraud on the Amsterdam-based platform has climbed over three years, with scammers posing as the owners of real properties. Booking.com has itself warned that AI is behind a '500 to a 900pc increase' in scams. The Digital Services Act probe will examine how guest data is passed to hosts and how the site's messaging service works. A breach could cost up to 6pc of global turnover.

Askaboutmoney.com founder Brendan Burgess lost more than €900 to a fake hotel email.

Bogus 'pending confirmation' emails demand card details and extra payments from genuine guests.

Booking.com admitted a data breach this year, fuelling fears of 'reservation hijacking'.

MoreReutersBooking.com targeted in EU investigation into phishing scams, fraudulent listingsIrish TimesBooking.com under investigation over fraudulent listings concernsIrish IndependentEU to probe Booking.com over rise in email scams and fake listings
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