Brussels Wants to Know if Booking.com Is Doing Enough About Fake Listings

The European Commission has opened a formal investigation into how Booking.com handles scams and fraud. Regulators will examine whether the platform breached the EU Digital Services Act by failing to diligently assess or effectively reduce the risks from fraudulent listings and phishing.

The probe follows a preliminary review of Booking.com’s risk assessment reports from 2023 through 2026, its transparency reports, and its answers to Commission information requests from September 2025 and May 2026. It covers fake listings, including nonexistent properties and impersonation fraud, phishing risks tied to sharing reservation and guest data with accommodation providers, and whether the site’s advertising meets transparency rules.

The stakes are real. Booking.com was designated a very large online platform under the law in April 2023, and violations can bring fines of up to 6 percent of global annual turnover. The Commission is still gathering evidence, and formal proceedings allow interim measures or a ruling, though Booking.com could also settle by offering commitments.

Booking.com says it is cooperating fully and engaging constructively. The company confirmed in April 2026 that an unauthorized party had accessed customer names, email addresses, phone numbers and booking details. For travelers, the practical lesson is to confirm reservations directly with the property and treat unexpected payment requests with caution.

Sources: Travel Weekly