The European Commission has opened a Digital Services Act investigation into Booking.com, focusing on whether the platform is doing enough to prevent fraudsters from running scams, phishing, and smishing. The probe covers three areas: fraudulent and non-compliant listings, account takeovers and social engineering, and advertising transparency.
Officials cited Booking.com's own admission of a 500–900 percent jump in travel scams over 18 months. In the Netherlands alone, more than 1,000 fraud notifications were made in early 2026, causing €82,000 in damage, a tenfold increase. The Commission says Booking.com's risk assessment is "absolutely substandard" and expects more diligent measures.
Booking.com responded that it is cooperating fully and engaging constructively with the Commission, and that security and trust are top priorities. The company says it remains committed to working with regulators and law enforcement to combat fraud.