Travelers using Booking.com are facing an ongoing wave of sophisticated phishing scams delivered through the company’s official chat system.
Cybercriminals have managed to trick multiple users by sending urgent requests to re-enter payment details, using exact booking information that makes the messages appear authentic.
Several Dutch victims reported losing hundreds of euros or nearly falling for the scheme after receiving urgent payment links inside the app. In many cases, the messages cited impending reservation cancellations, pressuring travelers to act quickly while working or mid-transit.
How scammers gain access
The Amsterdam-headquartered booking platform maintains that its internal systems have not been breached. Instead, the company points to targeted phishing attacks against individual accommodation partners, which allow hackers to hijack hotel portal accounts and message guests directly.
Because the scammers operate from genuine hotel accounts, they have access to accurate guest names, stay dates, and total costs. Some travelers have also reported receiving follow-up fraudulent messages on WhatsApp containing their correct personal information.
Frustration over support responses
Affected customers have expressed frustration over customer support, reporting difficulties reaching human representatives when trying to report the fraud.
Several victims noted that their inquiries went unanswered or resulted in generic automated responses, leaving them to manage canceled bookings or blocked credit cards on their own.
Booking.com acknowledged that handling these fraud cases often takes too long and stated it is working to improve support for affected users.
The company emphasized that while these incidents cause significant stress, they remain rare compared to the millions of stays booked through the site each week.
