Fake listings and scams: why Booking.com has questions to answer
Summary
This episode examines the surge of fake listings and scams on Booking.com, highlighted by a UK consumer group’s successful test listing of 10 Downing Street. Irish Times correspondent Conor Pope discusses reader complaints about fraudulent bookings and the platform’s slow response to fraud. The segment also covers a recent data breach enabling reservation hijacking and the European Commission’s new investigation into Booking.com’s risk mitigation and advertising transparency under the Digital Services Act.
Topics discussed
Introduction: Fake listings and the 10 Downing Street scam
Witch's test of Booking.com fraud controls and EU investigation
Conor Pope joins to discuss reader complaints and scams
Case study: Dublin landlord's property listed without consent
How scammers divert payments off-platform to avoid liability
Impact on innocent tenants and slow platform response
Scale of Booking.com and the balance of convenience vs risk
Common issues: Non-existent hotels and unresolved bookings
2026 data breach and the threat of reservation hijacking
Analysis of the 10 Downing Street listing experiment
Critique of 24-hour fraud removal window and AI limits
EU investigation into risk mitigation and ad transparency
Booking.com's cooperation and the need for regulatory oversight
Immediate actions required and the role of human intervention
Potential penalties: Financial fines vs reputational damage
Reputational impact and the platform's core value proposition
Booking.com's responsiveness to media and consumer issues
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