Booking.com will strengthen privacy protections for Dutch users starting next week to prevent phone number misuse. The travel platform will block customers from sharing contact details outside its system and keep phone numbers strictly within its internal network. Company leaders introduced the measure following a security breach earlier this year.
April data breach triggers ongoing investigation
Unauthorised third parties accessed booking information on the platform in April, stealing reservation details, email addresses, and phone numbers. The total number of affected customers remains unknown. Fraud Director Pascal Mafait confirmed at a cybersecurity event on Tuesday that an investigation remains ongoing. However, he declined to comment on specific details to avoid aiding future cyberattacks.
Phishing scams target travel sites and Booking.com users
The Fraud Helpdesk recently reported a sharp rise in phishing scams targeting online travel platforms. During the first six months of the year, the agency received 1,072 phishing reports regarding booking sites, with over 90 per cent involving Booking.com.
Consumer test reveals rising sophistication of online fraud
A Booking.com survey testing 1,100 Dutch users revealed significant vulnerabilities to online fraud. Nearly half of the respondents mistook fake hotel web pages for authentic ones. Mafait warned that cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated, eliminating traditional warning signs from fraudulent content.
Experts call for simpler, default security measures
Dave Maasland, director of cybersecurity firm ESET Nederland, urged companies to simplify account security for consumers. He criticized overly complex privacy settings, comparing them to hidden parental control features on social media. Maasland advocated making robust tools like facial recognition and one-time passcodes the default standard, though he estimated full industry adoption could take 10 to 15 years.
@ anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
