I Was Charged $410 on Booking.com for a Hotel in Amsterdam I Never Booked

On Sunday, July 13, 2025, at 15:22, I received a notification from VakıfBank stating that a charge of $410.24 had been made on my credit card by “BKG Hotel at Booking.com at Amsterdam.” I was shocked because I never made such a booking, have never been to Amsterdam, and never authorized this transaction.

I immediately checked my Booking.com account, and there was no reservation or record linked to this charge. I have not shared my card or personal information with anyone, and my card has not been lost or stolen.

As soon as I saw the unauthorized charge, I replied to the alert message and called customer service. They helped me cancel the card and issue a replacement, and they said they would file an objection on my behalf. I was also told to visit the bank branch in person, which I will do first thing Monday morning.

I want to be absolutely clear: this transaction is fraudulent and does not belong to me. I demand that the charge be reversed immediately, and the ₺ equivalent of the stolen amount be refunded without delay.

Also, I’d like to raise a concern — why was no bank approval code required for this charge? The transaction went through without any OTP or verification, which is alarming.

I expect Booking.com and the bank to fully investigate this incident, improve their fraud prevention systems, and ensure customers are not left vulnerable to unauthorized charges like this. Any updates after my bank visit will be added here.