Booking.com has confirmed a data breach in which unauthorised parties accessed customers' personal details. The accommodation booking platform said it detected suspicious activity involving third parties gaining access to booking information, including names, contact details, and reservation specifics.
The company stated that it took immediate action to contain the issue, updated pin numbers for affected reservations, and notified impacted guests. Booking.com declined to disclose the number of affected customers but assured that financial information was not compromised.
In an email to affected users, Booking.com noted that hackers may have accessed booking details, names, email addresses, phone numbers, and information shared with accommodations. The breach is the latest in a series of cybercrime incidents targeting the platform, which has struggled with rising online scams.
In 2018, criminals used phishing to steal hotel employee login details in the UAE, accessing data of over 4,000 people. Booking.com was fined €475,000 for reporting that breach 22 days late to the Dutch privacy regulator. The wider industry faces pressure to combat fake listings on booking sites.
