Scam hotel booking sent family to Wetherspoon pub

Wetherspoon staff have been turning away up to 20 tourists a day as scammers use the address as a fake Booking. com holiday apartment.

A theatre-goer fell victim to a 'sophisticated phishing attack' after booking a 'luxury' London apartment, only to discover the address was a Wetherspoon pub.

Consumer protection organisation Which? said Wetherspoon staff had been turning away up to 20 tourists a day after scammers used the pub's address as a listing for a 'block of luxury apartments'.

Wetherspoon said it had informed Booking. com about this scam 'as soon as it came to their attention'.

The Liberty Bounds, on the right, is in Trinity Square, Tower Hill, and near the Tower of London.

Dawson, 55, made his booking in August. Two days later, he said he received an email from The London Crown containing a link to a fake Booking. com page, which asked for his bank details.

Dawson told Which? he contacted Booking. com with his suspicions, but said the platform told him that he would need to visit the 'fake apartment' and wait until after 7pm before it would relocate him.

This was despite Mr Dawson explaining to the support staff that he had autistic children and the idea of turning up at a clearly non-existent property at 10. 30pm would have been catastrophic.

Wetherspoon said the listing was removed only for it to reappear, 'though it now appears that the ability to book has been blocked.