CoinGecko CEO Bobby Ong warned about fraudulent emails impersonating Booking.com to promote a fake crypto summit in Dubai.

Booking.com confirmed the scam and stated it is investigating the matter.

Fake Crypto Summit Invitation Surfaces

Ong shared the phishing email on social media on October 27, 2025. The email announced an “Exclusive Crypto Travel Summit” scheduled for November 2025 in Dubai. It falsely stated that Booking.com and Coinbase formed a strategic partnership to launch crypto travel services.

The fraudulent invitation listed Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong as keynote speakers. The email contained an RSVP deadline of September 30, 2025. This date had already passed, revealing the scam’s poor construction.

Ong advised recipients to delete such emails immediately. He urged Booking.com to escalate the issue to its security team. Booking.com responded via its official account, acknowledging the fraudulent emails and requesting details to investigate.

Booking.com Addresses Impersonation Tactics

In its response, Booking.com stated it does not communicate via messaging apps such as Telegram or WhatsApp. The company emphasized it does not recruit or offer customer support through these channels. It recommends that users report and block suspicious contacts not associated with the company.

Booking.com advised users not to provide personal information, make payments, or click links in suspicious messages. The company suggested reporting such incidents to local authorities. For legitimate booking issues, users should contact Booking.com’s customer service directly with confirmation numbers and reservation details.

Broader Pattern of Crypto Scams

The Booking.com impersonation follows similar fraud patterns targeting cryptocurrency users. In September 2025, Binance warned about fake listing agents claiming to guarantee platform listings for fees. Binance CEO Richard Teng also detailed phone scams where impersonators posed as customer support agents.

These scammers guided users to change API settings that enable fund theft. The crypto community expressed frustration with evolving scam sophistication. One user noted that scams continue to advance in complexity.

Ong emphasized that the adversarial nature of cryptocurrency requires users to verify all communications carefully. Security experts recommend verifying sender domains and avoiding suspicious links. When requests appear unusual, users should contact platforms directly through official channels.

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