Booking.com has warned customers that hackers may have accessed their personal details in a cyberattack. The accommodation booking platform said unauthorised parties gained access to names, contact information and reservation details for an undisclosed number of customers.
The company said it discovered suspicious activity involving third parties accessing guest booking information and took immediate action to contain the issue. It has updated the pin numbers for affected reservations and informed guests. A spokesperson confirmed that financial information was not compromised.
An email to affected customers stated that accessed data could include booking details, names, email addresses, phone numbers, and any information shared with the accommodation. The incident is the latest in a series of cybercrime attempts targeting Booking.com, which has struggled with online scams where fraudsters ask for payment details to pre-authorise bookings.
In a previous breach in 2018, criminals used phishing tactics to steal login details from hotel employees in the United Arab Emirates, gaining access to data from over 4,000 people. Booking.com was fined €475,000 for reporting that breach to the Dutch privacy regulator 22 days late.
The wider travel industry faces mounting calls to address fake listings on booking websites. Booking.com is owned by Booking Holdings, a US company valued at $137bn, which also owns OpenTable, Agoda and Kayak.
