Fake Booking.com listing sends tourists to Wetherspoon pub
A £73 reservation for The London Crown apartments was actually for The Liberty Bounds pub, with up to 20 visitors denied entry each day, after a phishing breach.
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BBC London reported that a family from Leicestershire booked a night at The London Crown apartments through Booking.com, paying £73, only to discover the address was The Liberty Bounds, a Wetherspoon establishment close to Tower Bridge.
How the scam unfolded
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The booking was made in August for a night intended to coincide with a West End musical. Two days later the family received an email that appeared to come from the property, containing a link to a counterfeit Booking.com page that asked for bank details. The email prompted the victim to travel to the address shown on the listing, which was the pub.
I explained to the support staff that I had autistic children and the idea of turning up at a clearly non‑existent property at 10.30pm would have been catastrophic.
Paul Dawson, victim
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Responses from Booking.com and Wetherspoon
Booking.com told Which? that the listings were compromised by a sophisticated phishing attack that allowed criminals temporary unauthorised access to the accommodation’s Booking.com account. The company said it suspended bookings at the affected properties and is supporting customers who were impacted. Wetherspoon said it alerted Booking.com as soon as it became aware of the misuse and has repeatedly asked for the listing to be permanently removed.
Consumer watchdog and regulator comments
Which? said staff at The Liberty Bounds were turning away up to 20 tourists each day because the false address was being used in the scam. The watchdog added that a separate listing titled "Apartments near Big Ben" also used an address belonging to the House of Commons estate. Ofcom commented that online fraud carries serious consequences and that platforms have legal duties to remove illegal content once they are aware of it.
The fake listing remains blocked on Booking.com, but the incident highlights the need for tighter verification of property details. Consumers are advised to double‑check addresses and to contact the platform immediately if a listing appears to point to a public venue such as a pub.
Questions this report answers
+What happened to Paul Dawson's booking?
Paul Dawson paid £73 for a night at The London Crown apartments, but the address listed was The Liberty Bounds Wetherspoon pub. When he arrived, the venue was a pub, not an apartment, and he was forced to find alternative accommodation.
+How many tourists are being turned away at the pub each day?
Which? reported that staff at The Liberty Bounds are refusing entry to up to 20 tourists daily because the address is being used in fraudulent accommodation listings. The figure reflects the volume of visitors affected by the scam.
+What did Booking.com say caused the fake listings?
Booking.com said a sophisticated phishing attack gave cyber‑criminals temporary unauthorised access to the property’s Booking.com account, allowing them to create fraudulent listings that directed travellers to the pub instead of genuine apartments.
+What steps are being taken to stop the scam?
Wetherspoon has repeatedly notified Booking.com and asked for the listing to be removed. Booking.com has blocked the listing and suspended bookings at the compromised properties while supporting affected customers. Regulators have warned platforms of their duties under the Online Safety Act.
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