Which? exposes Booking.com’s fake 10 Downing Street listing and lax fraud controls
Consumer group Which? created a bogus 10 Downing Street listing on Booking.com, which stayed up for two months before removal, highlighting weaknesses in the platform’s fraud detection.
Which? succeeded in posting a counterfeit accommodation listing for 10 Downing Street on Booking.com, using images of the iconic door and describing a "prime city centre location". The group allowed a brief 20-minute period for users to request a stay, during which 14 inquiries were made but only the researcher’s request was approved. Although the platform sent a payment-verification link that should have been blocked, Booking.com did not flag it, and the fake ad persisted for two months before being taken down on 27 August.
A Booking.com spokesperson explained that the listing never appeared live on the main site, so some automatic fraud controls were not activated, while AI tools typically purge fraudulent posts within a day. Which?'s travel editor, Rory Boland, criticised the system as inadequate, arguing that scammers could easily exploit such gaps. The group called for stronger action under the Online Safety Act, urging Ofcom to compel platforms to remove illegal content swiftly.
Why it matters
The episode reveals gaps in a major travel platform’s fraud defenses, risking consumer loss and undermining trust in online bookings.
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