Klobuchar and Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce Legislation to Protect Consumers from Online Booking Scams

Press Release

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and a bipartisan group of senators have introduced legislation to protect consumers from online booking scams. The Stop Online Booking Scams Act would protect consumers from illegitimate third party websites that trick consumers into thinking they are making reservations directly with hotels.

Online booking sites have created a marketplace where consumers can shop for hotels across thousands of brands on a single platform. The rise of online booking (480 bookings per minute) has brought with it an increase in online booking scams. Fraudulent websites give the appearance of being connected to a hotel, but actually have no relationship with them. Transactions on these sites can result in additional hidden fees, loss of expected loyalty points, or even fake confirmation of reservations that were never made. The Stop Online Booking Scams Act addresses this problem.

"Hotel reservations made through fraudulent websites can be costly and stressful for travelers," Klobuchar stated. "As more and more people turn to online booking websites to plan their travel, our bipartisan legislation will help to crack down on bad actors and protect consumers."

Source