A consumer watchdog investigation finds that a fake Booking.com listing using the exact address and an image of 10 Downing Street can be created and can accept payment. The research tests the platform’s safeguards by attempting to place a fraudulent rental offer for the prime minister’s official residence.
Sky News and The Guardian report that the listing is created during the watchdog’s probe and is able to reach stages that allow transactions to proceed. The Guardian adds that Which? set up the listing and accepted payment, and says the outcome points to “systemic security failures.” The outlets describe the listing as presented as a “1 bed apartment” in central London, even though it is not a genuine rental.
While the overall account is consistent across the two reports—namely that Booking.com’s processes fail to prevent the fraudulent creation and payment of the listing—each outlet emphasizes a different framing. Sky News focuses on “expos[ing] security failures,” while The Guardian highlights the alleged scale of the problem and notes the specific steps and description used in the test.
All agree the incident occurs through an investigation by Which? researchers and involves a Booking.com offer that imitates 10 Downing Street.
