French hotel giant Accor is investigating allegations of systemic human trafficking and child exploitation made by short seller Grizzly Research. The report claims Accor hotels in over 20 countries agreed to bookings for Ukrainian orphans en route to Russian adoption, including requests for inappropriate items like champagne and condoms. Accor firmly denies any involvement, stating it trains staff and audits operations to combat such abuses.

It has hired an external firm for the investigation and vowed to prosecute if claims are confirmed. Grizzly alleges hotels ignored red flags, with 40 agreeing to suspicious requests. The claims, if proven, could trigger severe regulatory scrutiny and damage Accor's reputation.

Short sellers like Grizzly profit by betting on share price declines, as seen in their previous Trustpilot report attack. Accor's stock faces potential volatility amid this crisis.