Booking.com has notified customers of a data breach following a cyberattack on its platform. The company said it had noticed some suspicious activity involving unauthorized third parties who “were able to access some of our customers’ booking data.”
Booking.com declined to say how many people were affected by the attack, while a spokesperson said that “financial data was not affected,” TheGuardian reports. “As soon as we discovered the activity, we took measures to limit the problem. We have updated the PIN number for these reservations and notified our customers,” the company said in a statement. An email sent to affected customers said that hackers may have had access to “some booking information” related to a previous booking made by the customer.
“Based on the findings of our investigation so far, the information they have had access to may include booking details and names, emails, addresses, phone numbers associated with the booking and anything you may have shared with the accommodation,” the statement said.
This is the latest in a series of cybercrime attempts against Booking.com. The Amsterdam-based company lists more than 30 million accommodations worldwide and says it connects “millions of travelers” with transportation and places to stay.
Recently, the company has faced an increase in online fraud on its platform, where fraudsters ask for payment details for “verification” or “prepayment” before a trip and then charge high amounts. In 2018, criminals used certain tactics to steal login details from hotel employees in the United Arab Emirates, then managed to access the booking data of more than 4,000 people on the platform. Booking.com reported this breach to the Dutch privacy regulator 22 days late, which resulted in a fine of 475,000 euros.
The industry as a whole is also facing calls to combat the proliferation of fake listings on booking sites. Booking.com is owned by Booking Holdings, a $137 billion U.S. company that also owns OpenTable, Agoda and Kayak. The group is headquartered in Norwalk and employs more than 24,000 people worldwide.