A holidaymaker has reported that a Booking.com host vanished after they paid for an apartment in Paris, with the booking platform refusing to issue a refund. The tourist, aged 83, wrote to a national newspaper seeking assistance.
Details of the Incident
In a letter to The Guardian, the holidaymaker explained: "A friend and I paid Booking.com for an apartment in Paris. The next day we received an email informing us our 'request' had not been confirmed and advising us to contact the owner."
"Our many attempts failed, and so did Booking.com's. A call centre manager suggested we travel to Paris, knock on the door and contact Booking.com if nobody answered. Otherwise we would not get our booking refunded."
The tourist added: "We then discovered several reviews on Booking.com stating they had arrived to find the flat inaccessible. I am 83 and could not risk being left with nowhere to stay, so I cancelled and lost the €701 (£609) I paid for the booking."
Reservation Hijack Scams
This incident follows a data breach at Booking.com that has led to a surge in scams known as "reservation hijacks." Hackers stole customer data, enabling criminals to target victims with precision.
Norton, a cybersecurity firm, has warned that these scams are becoming more dangerous. Luis Corrons, security evangelist at Norton, said: "Reservation hijack scams have been around for some time, but this new data makes them much more dangerous because it gives criminals precision as they can reference the real property, the real travel dates, the right contact details to make the scam feel like routine customer service."
Booking.com's Response
Booking.com advised guests to remain vigilant against phishing attacks. The company stated: "Booking.com will never ask guests to share credit card details by email, over the phone, WhatsApp or text, or ask guests to make a bank transfer that is different from the payment policy details in their booking confirmation."
