It used to be enough to worry about sketchy airport Wi-Fi, fake booking websites, or that suspicious “cheap flight deal” that somehow required payment through a random app.
Now scammers are taking things a step further: they’re pretending to be airline or hotel customer service agents and calling travelers directly. The scary part is that they may already know your trip details.
From stolen reservation details to a fake phone call
According to cybersecurity researchers at Guardio, scammers are impersonating third-party travel websites and tricking hotels into handing over customer booking information. Once they have their target’s reservation details, they use that information as their entry point.
Then comes the phone call. The scammer contacts the target pretending to be from their airline, hotel, or travel provider. They may claim there’s a problem with the target’s reservation, offer a “special discount,” or say they can upgrade the target’s booking if they pay them directly.
It sounds helpful, but it’s actually a trap. “Eventually you pay the scammers on top of what you already paid,” cybersecurity expert Nati Tal explained.
How this scam is believable
The reason this scam works is that scammers aren’t starting from zero. A random call saying “Hello, you won the lottery” is easy to ignore. But a call saying, “Hi, we’re calling about your upcoming hotel reservation in Paris next week” sounds very plausible.
Travelers are already juggling flights, confirmations, luggage, passports, and schedules. So, a scammer who knows your destination or booking details instantly feels more legitimate. Basically, context is the cheat code.
The golden travel rule: never pay outside official channels
If an airline, hotel, or travel company suddenly asks you to pay through a new link, phone number, or payment method, alarm bells should ring in your head. Do not send money through unfamiliar payment platforms or give out card details over an unexpected call.
Also, never trust phone numbers found in random search results, or move a booking payment away from the official website.
Instead, hang up such calls and contact the company yourself using the official website or app. Yes, it takes an extra two minutes or so. But those few minutes could save you hundreds of dollars.
Sources: ABC7 Chicago, Travel Noire