Booking.com confirms data breach in which customer data was stolen
Booking.com has confirmed cybercriminals accessed customer data following a series of phishing attacks on hotel partners. Although financial details have remained secure according to the company, a significant amount of customers’ booking data has been leaked.
Although the company did not disclose the number of users affected, it confirmed that financial data remained safe. It explained that the compromised information could include booking details, names, email addresses, telephone numbers and other information that had been shared with accommodation providers during previous reservations.
Booking.com acted immediately to plug the leak by renewing reservation PINs and notifying affected customers. This incident is part of a broader pattern of attempted cybercrime targeting Booking.com. The platform is struggling with a rise in online scams, in which fraudsters, under false pretences, request payment details before trips take place.
Earlier, in 2018, criminals used phishing techniques to steal login details from hotel staff in the United Arab Emirates, giving them access to booking data for more than 4,000 Booking.com users. That data breach led to a fine of €475,000 from the Dutch privacy regulator due to a delayed notification.
The travel industry in general is under pressure to tackle the proliferation of fake adverts on booking websites. Booking.com is owned by Booking Holdings, a US company worth $137 billion (€126 billion) that also owns OpenTable, Agoda and Kayak.
The group, headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, employs more than 24,000 people worldwide.
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