A fake listing was set up for 10 Downing Street (Image: Getty)
A fake Booking.com listing was set up for 10 Downing Street, describing the property as a “1 bedroom apartment in the heart of London” that promised a four-minute walk to the Houses of Parliament. It was reportedly set up by Which? within minutes and the consumer watchdog has said it uncovered “systemic security failures” on the website.
The listing featured the exact address and a picture of the Prime Minister’s home in London. Although it was set up so users had to request a stay before paying, Which? said a payment was processed by a researcher for a week-long stay at the address. A fake review was also uploaded to the site, making reference to how enjoyable it was “hanging out with Larry The Cat”. The listing was removed on August 27, around six weeks after it went live, with the money spent on the fake booking still not refunded within that timeframe.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel said: “If Booking.com’s so-called sophisticated AI systems can’t spot that 10 Downing Street is not a holiday rental, then it’s no wonder scammers can exploit the platform so easily.
“It would be laughable that we were able to list the UK’s most famous address for rent, if the consequences weren’t so devastating for holidaymakers, who risk losing thousands of pounds to bogus listings and phishing links.
“Booking.com’s checks are clearly unfit for purpose, and the Prime Minister must now urge Ofcom to use the Online Safety Act to crack down on irresponsible online platforms that leave consumers wide open to fraud.”
Booking.com is a digital travel site which enables users to book accommodation – including holiday rentals and hotels – as well as flights, car rentals and attractions. It was founded in 1996 and now offers more than 28 million total reported accommodation listings, according to its website.
Which? said it has received “endless reports from consumers with dozens of complaints of receiving scam messages on the platform and hundreds of people arriving at properties to discover that the listing was fake”. The watchdog said it “uncovered systemic security failures across the platform” and urged Ofcom to launch its own investigation.
A fake review even made reference to Larry The Cat (Image: Getty)
A Booking.com spokesperson said: “This limited test is not a true reflection of the experience of millions of listings on our platform. The property added by Which? was not visible to customers or ‘live’ for the time period referenced.
“We use a range of checks, verification measures and artificial intelligence, which help us detect and remove the majority of fraudulent listings within 24 hours.”
It said that as the property was not open and bookable, some of its automatic fraud controls were not triggered to completely remove the fraud listing.
The travel site said that fraud affects many industries, adding that it recognised this challenge and continues to strengthen defences to help protect customers and accommodation partners.
The listing claimed the property was a four-minute walk to the Houses of Parliament (Image: Getty)
Booking.com said there are visible reminders to not click on links customers are not confident about, with booking confirmations providing further guidance, including details of the agreed payment schedule.
According to Which?, under Booking.com’s policies, hosts are not required to provide photo ID or proof of ownership until three months after a listing goes live.
An Ofcom spokesperson said: “For illegal content generated by users, platforms have existing legal duties that mean they must take it down swiftly once they become aware of it.
“Booking.com is not in scope of future rules that will apply to paid-for fraudulent advertising, and any change to that would be a matter for Government.”
