Expedia upgrades consumer protections after 5 On Your Side series
Expedia Group has upgraded its consumer protections following a 5 On Your Side series that exposed how easily scammers could use the site to take your money.
When travelers began showing up at a Raleigh personal injury law firm, paralegal Von Weston was called. "One man said, 'Do you have any rooms upstairs?' and I said, 'No, this is not a hotel,'" Weston said.
Scammers used the firm’s address along with photos of other hotel rooms to trick travelers into booking, seven times. "One woman came in crying because she spent her last $50 on the booking," Weston said.
The listings were posted on several sites including Travelocity. Expedia Group, which owns VRBO, Travelocity, Trivago, Orbitz, and several other travel sites, eventually took the listings down. Expedia Group told 5 On Your Side, “We have a dedicated team that checks for fraudulent or suspicious properties.”
But given that innocent people lost money, 5 On Your Side decided to test Expedia Group’s fraud protection. So, 5 On Your Side attempted to create its own listing on the company’s free site, where any hotel owner can list a room. With little effort and a few fibs, the WRAL Azalea Garden Hotel was live within a month. 5 On Your Side went back to Expedia Group, which claimed that fake postings are “rare.”
Seven months later, right in time for the summer travel season, 5 On Your Side checked back in. Had anything changed? Yes. Expedia Group told 5 On Your Side it made five changes:
- Data Model Improvements: We’ve invested in refining our data models to better detect and prevent fraudulent listings. These models analyze patterns and anomalies to identify potential fake listings.
- Expanded Data Sources: We’ve broadened our data sources, allowing us to cross-reference and validate listings more comprehensively.
- New Detection Models: Our team has developed new models and algorithms designed to proactively identify suspicious activity.
- Protection Measures: We’ve implemented additional safeguards to prevent bad actors from exploiting our platform and users.
- User Reporting: We’ve streamlined the process for users to report fake listings. In the U.S., travelers can use our virtual agent and social media to report any suspicious listings that our team will investigate.
Weston was particularly impressed with the fraud reporting upgrades.
“To be able to get to someone directly who has been trained for that is amazing. I think it will eliminate the frustrations I had on my part and help people who lost money get it back faster,” Weston said.
