Dear Partner,
As we enter a busy travel period for many parts of the world, we’d like to take this opportunity to remind you of some simple steps you can take to protect your property from the threats posed by online criminals.
Why is it important for you to stay vigilant?
Over the last few weeks, we’ve become aware of some phishing attempts targeted at our accommodation partners. These “phishers” have sent our partners emails pretending to be from Booking.com, asking their staff to verify their Booking.com Extranet login details through a fake version of our website, or to pay their monthly commission invoices to different bank accounts than normal.
We take these threats very seriously and have rigorous systems in place to ensure maximum data security on our platform. However, we also rely on you and your staff to remain alert and assist us in our efforts to protect your business and our mutual guests from potential phishing attempts.
What can you do?
· If an email directs you to a website that looks like Booking.com, always look for the green padlock and the text "Booking.com B.V" in the URL bar to ensure a secure connection. Never enter your login details if this padlock and text are not present on the website.
· Do not open emails from people who you don’t know. We will never communicate to you with an email address that does not end in “@booking.com.” If a message has come from an email address ending in “@booking.com,” but the contents look suspicious, do not follow the instructions in the message and please report it to us immediately.
· If you receive a suspicious email, please forward it as an attachment to report@booking.com along with your property ID, and we’ll conduct an investigation. This includes any requests that appear to come from staff at Booking.com asking for you to verify login details, or to transfer an outstanding invoice to a previously unknown bank account. If in doubt, contact us at the phone numbers and email addresses provided in your Extranet. This is the only secure environment for you to retrieve payment and contact information for Booking.com. Remember, phishing emails can also contain fake contact numbers.
· Please share this information with your staff and encourage them to take the same precautions.
We thank you in advance for staying alert when it comes to your security. If you receive any suspicious communication—even if you’re unsure—it’s better to be safe than sorry. Go ahead and forward any concerns directly to us at report@booking.com.
Best regards,
The Booking.com Security & Fraud Operations Team