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There’s no place like home for the holidays – but make sure you don’t get robbed along the way.
A new scam is on the rise that tricks travelers into thinking their travel plans have been canceled extremely reassuring text or callCyber criminals have been known to use fake social media accounts to impersonate major airlines and now they are using false websites and artificial intelligence to spoof them completely airline employee Who want help rebooking flights.
The fraud begins quite simply with a text that looks like it is from a genuine airline, claiming that the traveler’s flight has been delayed or canceled shortly after purchasing the flight. fraudsters Make their messages official with real details like the airline name, logo, and flight number to impersonate a real airline alert. Messages are often targeted during periods of seasonal upheaval or busy travel periods – such as the holiday season – to appear even more credible.
texts, Often repeated and increasing in urgency, using phrases such as “Act fast” or “Your seat will be canceled” are meant to create panic. According to cyber experts, scammers use this method to trick customers into “re-booking” their flights or, worse, sharing their personal details. Kurt Knutson,
However, the flight was probably never cancelled, and the airline’s website may have been fake in the first place. Fraudsters are creating fake airline websites and even purchasing Google ads to trick customers into purchasing fake flights. Then, once they “cancel” the flight, they can cash in even more of the stolen money.
“Scammers are spreading fake airline cancellation emails and text messages that can easily be mistaken for the real deal,” Better Business Bureau When the plan first came to light last summer there were warnings.
“Before calling customer support, verify that the information in the message – such as the flight and reservation number – is correct,” the BBB added. “If you are unsure whether the message is legitimate, do not call the customer service number included in the message. It may be fake. Go to your airline’s actual website and look for their customer service number there.”
As Flight prices are skyrocketing due to inflationIf customers purchase or rebook expensive tickets from a scammer, they could lose thousands of dollars and never get their money back.
In August, a traveler became the victim of a similar airline scam when a United Airlines employee mistakenly transferred her to a fake airline to rebook her flight. The scammer “rebooked” her flight and charged her $17,000, leading the traveler to discover that United had no record of her payment.
“I know it. I know I called the right number,” customer Ryan Smoker said. nbc In those days. “Because it’s one thing to call a completely wrong number and be a victim of fraud. It’s another thing to call a reliable source, or what you believe to be a reliable source, and be a victim of fraud. And if it happened to me, I can guarantee it has happened to other people too.”
To stay safe from travel scammers this holiday season, it’s important to stay calm first. If a message uses offensive language or tries to scare you into rushing into making your decision, remember that taking a moment to verify your travel details can save you time and money.
Next, be sure to double-check for flight changes through your airline’s official website or app. Instead of clicking on a link that could expose your personal data, log in to the airline’s portal to ensure that the details are correct. Also, make sure the URL, email address, and message you’re being sent all make sense and don’t contain any typos: poor grammar or punctuation can be a problem. Sure sign of a cyber scam.
Finally, report messages impersonating airlines to the Federal Trade Commission. Reporting false alerts helps agencies protect other travelers.