The European Commission announced that EU regulators have started an investigation into Booking.com for fraudulent listings and phishing scams under the Digital Services Act. This matters because many Europeans use the platform to arrange holidays, so any weakness could affect travellers directly.

The investigation will focus on several risk areas: fake listings for non‑existent properties, impersonation fraud, non‑compliant accommodation offers, phishing scams that exploit reservation and guest data, and paid‑for boosted listings that are not clearly marked as advertisements. Regulators will assess whether Booking.com has properly identified, assessed and mitigated these systemic risks.

The Digital Services Act allows fines of up to 6 % of a platform’s global annual turnover for violations. EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said Europeans should be able to book holidays without fear of being scammed.

Booking.com responded that security, trust and the protection of personal information are top priorities and that it is cooperating constructively with the Commission. The company said it remains committed to working with governments, regulators, law‑enforcement and industry partners to combat cybercrime and online fraud.

The probe signals that EU authorities expect stronger safeguards for online travel bookings. If the investigation leads to stricter enforcement, travellers can expect clearer protections against fake offers and phishing attempts, making the booking experience safer.