Booking.com scam

[Fiddlesticks]

Booked myself on an IAM skills day and got the hotel via booking.com.

Today I received a WhatsApp from "Mybolehboleh" - Business Account - Joined in May 2026:

*Reservation Update*
Dear <name removed>,
Thank you for choosing <hotel name removed> for your upcoming stay.

We would like to inform you that your reservation for the following dates is currently pending verification:

Stay dates: 2026-07-01 – 2026-07-02

To ensure that your booking remains confirmed and that we can prepare for your arrival, please take a moment to review and complete the missing information associated with your reservation.

You can update the required details using the secure form below:

<link removed>

Once the requested information has been provided, your reservation will remain active in our system. This is not an emergency procedure.

Please note that reservations with incomplete information may be subject to cancellation in accordance with our booking policies.

Should you have any questions or require assistance, our support team is available 24/7.
Kind regards,
Reservations Department

I contacted booking.com support about this who, while telling me that they would forward the message to their security team, assured me that my personal details had not been breached or lost by them.

The evidence would seem to suggest otherwise - had it been my email that was hacked they still wouldn't have had my phone number to send the WhatsApp. They had all the details of my booking, however had the hotel address wrong on the online form.

Have blocked the WhatsApp number and reported to booking.com. Not much more I can do.

Watch out for this kind of scam

 

[Monsieur]

I had similar last week on WhatsApp purporting to be from my booking.com reservation. A quick email to hotel confirmed it was a scam.
I use booking.com a lot (free cancellations), over a dozen times these last few weeks and only had the one spam message.
The bastards are out to get you!

 

[SBD]

Booked myself on an IAM skills day and got the hotel via booking.com.

Today I received a WhatsApp from "Mybolehboleh" - Business Account - Joined in May 2026:

*Reservation Update*
Dear <name removed>,
Thank you for choosing <hotel name removed> for your upcoming stay.

We would like to inform you that your reservation for the following dates is currently pending verification:

Stay dates: 2026-07-01 – 2026-07-02

To ensure that your booking remains confirmed and that we can prepare for your arrival, please take a moment to review and complete the missing information associated with your reservation.

You can update the required details using the secure form below:

<link removed>

Once the requested information has been provided, your reservation will remain active in our system. This is not an emergency procedure.

Please note that reservations with incomplete information may be subject to cancellation in accordance with our booking policies.

Should you have any questions or require assistance, our support team is available 24/7.
Kind regards,
Reservations Department

I contacted booking.com support about this who, while telling me that they would forward the message to their security team, assured me that my personal details had not been breached or lost by them.

The evidence would seem to suggest otherwise - had it been my email that was hacked they still wouldn't have had my phone number to send the WhatsApp. They had all the details of my booking, however had the hotel address wrong on the online form.

Have blocked the WhatsApp number and reported to booking.com. Not much more I can do.

Watch out for this kind of scam

It would seem that the breach is at Booking.com. If they don’t accept that, maybe contacting the ICO?

Make a complaint about how an organisation has used your personal information

ico.org.uk

 

[daesimps]

They had a breach in April and got hold of customer details and active booking details.

There are people using the obtained details to send some really genuine looking emails to scam people.

We had one the other day. All the information was there, including phone number, booking reference, dates, costs etc.

We’re quite switched on due to my job, but I can imagine many people falling for it.

They’re also sending WhatsApp messages as many hotels we’ve booked say to WhatsApp them for requests or parking garage codes etc. My neighbour got one on Friday for her upcoming booking.

I’m not sure when you booked, so maybe this isn’t the reason, but it still serves as a good warning for other people.

Booking.com customers warned of 'reservation hijack' scams after data breach

The travel platform said it had changed Pins to protect customers but would not say how many were affected.

www.bbc.com

 

[EVskiy]

I’ve had it a few of these over the years. Don it respond, inform relevant people etc.

I’ve switched to Hotels.com last year as I do get a much better rewards through my credit card provider, plus 1% cash-back in points on every transaction, which I then convert to a hotels.com gift card. On top of that you get (similar to booking.com) hotels.com cash for staying at a participating hotels.

Hotels.com also occasionally run promos of their own. Such as, buy a more than a £100 in value gift card and receive 10% of the asking price by paying only £90. A deal which I’ve recently utilised for the upcoming trip.

 

[Mr Derek]

When this happened to me a few months ago I contacted the hotel, who said they are aware and Booking.com are attempting to resolve it. First thing I did was to change my Booking.com password.

 

[wessie]

I’ve had it a few of these over the years. Don it respond, inform relevant people etc.

I’ve switched to Hotels.com last year as I do get a much better rewards through my credit card provider, plus 1% cash-back in points on every transaction, which I then convert to a hotels.com gift card. On top of that you get (similar to booking.com) hotels.com cash for staying at a participating hotels.

Hotels.com also occasionally run promos of their own. Such as, buy a more than a £100 in value gift card and receive 10% of the asking price by paying only £90. A deal which I’ve recently utilised for the upcoming trip.

ditto

if I use a booking site, I prefer to use the Expedia brands that includes hotels .com - I tend to use Topcashback where they often have a 10% rebate.

as mentioned in another thread, I am finding places on Google maps which often gives the direct to hotel price or at least a link to the hotel. You often find a hotel showing as unavailable on Expedia etc has rooms free. You might find a better price as there is no commission to pay to a booking agent and offers such as half board, included breakfast or free parking. Most of the places for my trip later this year have been booked direct. [counts] Just 3 of the 17 nights, single nights in transit places. All bases are direct with the likes of Logis, Sercotel & Parador

 

[JJH]

I’ve had problems with booking.com. Debit card compromised. JJH

 

[EVskiy]

I’ve had problems with booking.com. Debit card compromised. JJH

Who does book a hotel (even a flight, train ticket) with a debit card? Yoh better protected by using a credit card, even if you pay it off minutes later.

 

[JJH]

I don’t have a credit card. I did have one. I’m too irresponsible to have one again. JJH