What are the red flags of this scam?

The message arrives via Booking.com in-app chat, WhatsApp or email and cites your exact hotel name, check-in date and booking reference — scammers obtained this from compromised hotel partner accounts, not from you • It claims a payment verification step is required before check-in, even though you received a booking confirmation long ago • The link leads to a domain that is not booking.com — look for misspellings like 'b00king.com' or a payment hosted on an unrelated site • The message says you have only a few hours to confirm or your room will be released — real hotels do not cancel confirmed bookings over verification texts • You are asked to re-enter your full card number, expiry, and CVV — Booking.com stores your payment details securely and hotels never need to collect them directly via chat

What should I do if this happened to me?

Do not tap the link. Open the Booking.com app or go to booking.com by typing the address yourself and check your reservation status there • Call your hotel directly using the phone number from the hotel's own website (not any number in the suspicious message) to confirm whether any payment issue exists • If you already entered your card details on the linked page, call your bank immediately on the number on the back of your card to cancel the card and dispute any charges • Forward scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and report suspicious WhatsApp messages using the in-app report button • Report to Report Fraud at https://www.reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

HIGH phishing Last reported: 6 Oct 2026 Share

A Booking.com message quotes your real booking then asks you to re-enter your card details

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. Criminals compromise hotel partner accounts on Booking.com and message guests through the real platform, quoting your actual check-in date and reference. They claim a payment failed and link to a fake page that steals your card details.

Criminals compromise hotel partner accounts on Booking.com and message guests through the real platform, quoting your actual check-in date and reference. They claim a payment failed and link to a fake page that steals your card details.

Also known as: Booking.com reservation hijack scam, hotel booking payment scam UK, Booking.com WhatsApp payment fraud, fake hotel re-verification message, booking data breach payment scam

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.

What to do right now

1 Do not tap the link. Open the Booking.com app or go to booking.com by typing the address yourself and check your reservation status there
2 Call your hotel directly using the phone number from the hotel's own website (not any number in the suspicious message) to confirm whether any payment issue exists
3 If you already entered your card details on the linked page, call your bank immediately on the number on the back of your card to cancel the card and dispute any charges
4 Forward scam emails to [email protected] and report suspicious WhatsApp messages using the in-app report button
5 Report to Report Fraud at https://www.reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

Red flags

⚠ The message arrives via Booking.com in-app chat, WhatsApp or email and cites your exact hotel name, check-in date and booking reference — scammers obtained this from compromised hotel partner accounts, not from you
⚠ It claims a payment verification step is required before check-in, even though you received a booking confirmation long ago
⚠ The link leads to a domain that is not booking.com — look for misspellings like 'b00king.com' or a payment hosted on an unrelated site
⚠ The message says you have only a few hours to confirm or your room will be released — real hotels do not cancel confirmed bookings over verification texts
⚠ You are asked to re-enter your full card number, expiry, and CVV — Booking.com stores your payment details securely and hotels never need to collect them directly via chat

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Sources