(qlmbusinessnews.com Tues, 5th Dec, 2023) London, UK —
Users Vent Frustration Over Booking.com's App Vulnerabilities to Scammers
Booking.com users are voicing their anger at the travel company's inability to protect them from falling prey to cybercriminals. For over a year, scammers have exploited vulnerabilities in the Booking.com app, deceiving users into losing significant sums of money. Numerous individuals have reached out to reporters, sharing their financial losses and expressing dissatisfaction with the company's response.
Although Booking.com itself has not suffered a data breach, fraudsters have successfully infiltrated the administration portals of individual hotels utilizing the platform. By gaining unauthorized access, scammers can send messages through the official app, leading customers to unwittingly make payments to the criminals instead of the intended hotel.
While this type of fraud has been ongoing for over a year, recent reports suggest an escalation in intensity, with hackers turning to the dark web to expand their pool of victims. Colleen Marples, 44, from Derbyshire Dales, recounted losing $147 during the booking of a holiday in Egypt. She fell victim to a payment request sent by scammers posing as the Cairo hotel in a conversation thread on the Booking.com app.
Another affected user, who wished to remain anonymous, disclosed losing $1,200 through the app and is currently struggling to secure a refund, feeling “extremely let down” by the company. Ian Robinson, 64, from Cumbria, shared how hackers attempted to scam him twice during a UK road trip, targeting two unrelated hotels for $122 and $283. Despite reporting the incidents to Booking.com, he claims the company showed little interest.
Booking.com responded to the concerns, acknowledging that there is no “silver bullet” to eliminate all fraud on the internet. The company's security team is actively monitoring and mitigating new threats. New security measures are being implemented, including features to lock or block inactive partner admin accounts, where fraudulent activities are typically observed after unauthorized access to a hotel's Booking account.
The company reassured users that it is actively monitoring its app for suspicious activity and disabling links shared during chats that appear illegitimate. While emphasizing ongoing efforts to enhance security, Booking.com acknowledged the challenges in completely eradicating online fraud.
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