The listing appeared through a recognised booking platform and was connected to an established accommodation profile. Travellers paid for an apartment that wasn’t thereThe scale of the fraud is what makes the case extremely shocking. Why the scam is particularly difficult to spotHoliday accommodation fraud has become increasingly sophisticated, with criminals exploiting the familiarity and reputation of major booking platforms. Earlier this year, Booking.com acknowledged a cyberattack in which unauthorised third parties may have gained access to customer information associated with reservations, including names, contact details and other booking information. For the people behind the fake Rome apartment, the attraction was not simply the money from individual reservations.