Fake 10 Downing Street listing exposes 'unfit' Booking.com, says consumer group
Booking.com said the "limited test" was "not a true reflection of the experience of millions of listings or reviews".
Consumer watchdog Which? discovered it could create a fake hotel listing for 10 Downing Street on the popular travel website Booking.com. The UK regulator's researchers were able to book the fictitious stay and even leave a phony review, highlighting a meeting with the resident cat, Larry. Despite clear indications that the listing was falsified, Booking.com did not remove it until two months after it was posted.
A spokesperson for Booking.com explained that the listing was not live on their site for the full two-month period, which prevented their automatic fraud controls from removing it entirely. However, Which? Travel editor Rory Boland criticized Booking.com's fraud detection measures as "fit for purpose." He argued that if their sophisticated AI systems cannot identify 10 Downing Street as an unappealing holiday rental, it is unsurprising that scammers can exploit the platform so easily.
The incident is not the first time Booking.com has faced criticism for its security and customer service. Booking.com stated that the fake listing was removed on August 27th. While the site claims to have various checks and verification measures in place, including AI technologies, Which? contends that these measures are inadequate.
Boland urged regulatory bodies like Ofcom to utilize the Online Safety Act to compel booking platforms to swiftly remove false listings.
Written by urgent.news from BBC Technology's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
