The European Union is investigating Booking.com over fraudulent listings and phishing scams
The European Commission began a formal investigation into Booking.com, focusing on illegal content, phishing, fraud, and data protection, amid a sharp rise in scam attempts and reports.
- The European Commission started a formal case against Booking.
- The Commission will examine if Booking.com effectively prevents phishing attempts.
- The number of worldwide fraud attempts has increased by 500 percent.
- Henna Virkkuen stated Europeans must be able to book vacations without fear of scams.
- The EU Commission will examine the transparency of paid advertising on the platform.
- The platform is suspected of not doing enough against fraudsters.
- One thousand seventy-two fraud reports were received in the first half of 2026.
- Violations of the Digital Services Act can result in fines up to 6 percent of global annual turnover.
- The platform might have violated the Digital Services Regulation by not diligently assessing risks.
- The Commission noted that 66 percent of hotel reservations are made through Booking.
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