Which? Says Fake 10 Downing Street Listing Exposes Booking.com Fraud Checks

Consumer group Which? said it created a fake 10 Downing Street listing on Booking.com and was able to book a bogus stay at the prime minister’s address, according to BBC. The watchdog said the listing, uploaded on 18 June, stayed live for two months before Booking.com removed it on 27 August, despite clear signs it was fake. Which? said 14 people tried to book the property during a 20-minute window it opened for testing, and that a fake review and an external payment link also appeared to pass the platform’s checks. Booking.com said the test was not representative of its wider platform and that its fraud controls were not triggered because the listing was not live for the full period. Which? said the episode showed the company’s checks were “unfit for purpose” and called for faster removal of fraudulent listings under the Online Safety Act.