- Which? Travel listed 10 Downing Street on Booking.com for two months
- The listing went live without identity or ownership verification
- Researchers secured a paid booking and published a 10 out of 10 review
- Messaging tools allowed external links seeking card details
- Booking.com said most fraudulent listings are removed within 24 hours
Which? Travel has listed 10 Downing Street, the residence of England’s Prime Minister, as a one-bedroom holiday rental on Booking.com for around two months, with the listing using the real address and a photo of the front door. The listing went live without immediate ownership or identity proof, with researchers securing a paid booking that Booking.com later cancelled. A 10 out of 10 review published quickly, rating the property exceptional, while messaging tools also allowed external links seeking card details.
The fake listing went live on 18 June and was not removed by the platform until 27 August, remaining in the system for over two months. Researchers set up the listing within minutes using a photo of the famous black front door and the exact address, with hosts not required to provide photo ID or proof of property ownership for the first three months under platform policies. The property was advertised at around £55 a night, with 14 real travellers attempting to book during a 20-minute window when researchers opened availability.
Booking.com said the test did not reflect normal experience, with most fraudulent listings removed within 24 hours and AI plus verification tools used. The consumer watchdog’s investigation highlighted risks for holidaymakers from bogus listings, with Which? Travel editor strongly criticising the platform. The exercise revealed vulnerabilities in the platform’s verification processes and review moderation systems.
Which? Travel editor shared “If Booking.com’s AI systems cannot spot 10 Downing Street as a holiday rental, scammers can easily exploit the platform.”
Booking.com shared “This limited test does not reflect the experience ofms of listings published on our platform.”
