Eurovision 2023: Hotel phishing scam targets song contest fans

Eurovision fans who person booked rooms for May's opus contention successful Liverpool are having their information enactment astatine hazard by scammers targeting edifice chains.

Booking.com confirmed to BBC News that "some accommodation partners had been targeted by phishing emails" but denied it had suffered a data-security breach.

Customers are advised to talk straight to their hotels if they person concerns.

The question institution said "a fig of accounts" had been affected by cyber attacks which were "quickly locked".

It claimed immoderate businesses had "accidentally compromised their ain interior systems by clicking connected links contained successful these messages".

BBC News has been incapable to verify however scammers got customers data. However, a fig of fans of the opus contention contacted the BBC's Eurovisioncast podcast, outlining their experiences of astir falling for scams relating to accommodation booked for Eurovision successful May.

Booking.com said it had "actively been supporting our partners, arsenic good arsenic immoderate perchance impacted customers" and continued "to marque information and information extortion a apical priority".

Marc Deruelle booked an flat done the question site, for himself and 3 friends to accidental successful Liverpool "for a beauteous decent price" during the competition.

In aboriginal February helium was contacted connected WhatsApp by idiosyncratic claiming to beryllium a receptionist asking initially if helium needed parking, and past claiming determination was an contented with his payment, with a akin contented look connected his booking.com account.

"I thought this indispensable beryllium OK," helium tells BBC News. "I got a substance connection from my slope and I had a telephone telephone from them and they said idiosyncratic was trying to scam maine retired of my money."

Around £800 was being transferred to Uganda but the transaction was cancelled.

"I felt truly anserine due to the fact that I've ne'er been adjacent to being scammed," helium says. "It conscionable took the enjoyment retired of it and I don't privation to spell immoderate much due to the fact that they'll cognize each my details and cognize I'm distant from home, truthful I cancelled it."

Marc phoned his accommodation supplier, which told him it had heard akin stories, which the BBC has been capable to confirm.

UKHospitality, which represents much than 700 companies, says it's ever champion to woody straight with hotels, alternatively than third-party booking platforms, if customers person concerns.

"Hotels volition precise seldom interaction you connected WhatsApp," main enforcement Kate Nicholls says. "For the archetypal clip you've got tons of young radical successful peculiar who won't beryllium usually booking and travelling to these events and [scammers] are exploiting those radical who are vulnerable."

Phishing scams similar this are believed to agelong wider than Eurovision and the metropolis of Liverpool.

Booking.com confirmed that nary morganatic transaction would ever necessitate a lawsuit to supply credit-card details by phone, substance connection oregon email.

All the build-up, insights and investigation is explored each week connected a caller BBC podcast called Eurovisioncast.