2 hrs ago
Fake 10 Downing Street Listing Exposes Booking.com Verification Gaps
Which?
wanted to see whether Booking.com could spot an obviously fake holiday home.
It used the address of 10 Downing Street, where the British prime minister lives.
The listing described it as a one-bedroom apartment in London.
People quickly asked about staying there.
Which?
even added a pretend five-star review mentioning Larry the Cat.
The group said the listing could be published and a test payment made.
Booking.com said the experiment did not represent the normal experience on its website.
The company also said the listing had been closed and that it is improving its checks against scams.
Which? created a fake 10 Downing Street holiday listing on Booking.com as a test of its fraud safeguards.
The listing advertised a one-bedroom London apartment and received 14 enquiries within its first 20 minutes.
Which? said it published a fake 10/10 review highlighting “hanging out with Larry the Cat.”
The consumer group said the listing remained online until 27 August, about two months after its creation.
Booking.com said the test did not represent most listings and that its fraud controls remove most fraudulent properties within 24 hours.
- Who
- Which?, a UK consumer group, tested Booking.com; Booking.com responded to the findings.
- What
- A fake holiday listing for 10 Downing Street was created, published and tested on Booking.com.
- Where
- The listing used 10 Downing Street in London, the official residence of the British Prime Minister, on Booking.com.
- When
- The listing was created about two months before the report dated 2 September 2026 and was removed on 27 August.
- Why
- Which? aimed to expose weaknesses in Booking.com’s checks against fake listings and highlight risks from accommodation scams.
Which? and consumer-safety critics
Booking.com
Effectiveness of verification checks
Which? and consumer-safety critics
Which? said the fake listing showed that Booking.com’s safeguards could be easily bypassed, despite earlier efforts to strengthen them.
Booking.com
Booking.com said the limited test was not representative of the experience involving millions of listings and reviews on its platform.
How long the listing was active
Which? and consumer-safety critics
Which? said the listing remained online until 27 August, about two months after it was created, even after the company was notified it was fake.
Booking.com
Booking.com said the property was not live and bookable for the entire two-month period and that its automatic fraud controls were not fully triggered because the listing had been closed.
Platform responsibility
Which? and consumer-safety critics
Which? called on Ofcom to take action against platforms that leave customers vulnerable to scams and said the failure was serious because users report being scammed on Booking.com.
Booking.com
Booking.com said it uses multiple verification measures and artificial intelligence, removes most fraudulent listings within 24 hours, and is continuing to strengthen its defences as fraud becomes more sophisticated.
Key facts
- Tested property
- 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister
- Advertised accommodation
- A one-bedroom apartment described as being four minutes from the Houses of Parliament
- Early interest
- Fourteen people asked about availability within the first 20 minutes
- Fake review
- Which? posted a 10/10 review mentioning Larry the Cat
- Listing duration
- The listing was created about two months before the report and removed on 27 August
- Booking.com position
- The company said the listing was not live and bookable for the entire two-month period
- Fraud controls
- Booking.com said its checks remove most fraudulent listings within 24 hours
Quotes
Which?
UK consumer group that created and reported the fake Booking.com listing
“We thought listing the Prime Minister’s residence as a holiday let was so absurd and obviously a scam that Booking.com would stop it. It didn’t. Instead, the listing went live and we were able to take bookings in just a few hours.”
theprint.in
“unbelievable”
theprint.in
Booking.com spokesperson
Representative of the online accommodation-booking platform
“This limited test is not a true reflection of the experience of millions of listings or reviews published on our platform”
theprint.in
Sources
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