In the excitement of planning a trip, the last thing anyone wants to encounter is a scam. Unfortunately, scammers are well aware of this and have tailored their threats to target unsuspecting travelers.
Beware of Fake Customer Support on Social Media:
One major area of concern is fake customer support on social media, often aimed at banking customers looking for assistance. With popular airline easyJet canceling numerous flights due to air traffic control delays, fraudsters have been busy creating fake support accounts. These bogus accounts direct potential victims to fake airline websites and other portals in an effort to steal credentials and payment data.
Avoid Phony Travel Agents:
Scammers are also targeting folks looking to escape the heat with phony travel agents and non-existent plane tickets. These sites appear in search engine results or random emails promising fantastic prices. Once you've paid and turned up on the day of the flight, or even just tried to check in online the day before, you're in for a nasty surprise.
Be Careful What You Post Online:
Be careful what you post online. Revealing your name, frequent flyer number, and passport information online makes you a possible target for scammers. They can potentially social engineer their way into accessing your account under the guise of you having “forgotten” your login details. Maybe they’ll sell your frequent flyer account on or do something else to cause you a headache. They may even wait a few months and then send a targeted phish.
The sky really is the limit with scams, so keep your personal info private. Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Keep threats off your devices by downloading Malwarebytes today.
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This blog post is based on the article "Plane sailing for ticket scammers: how to keep your flight plans safe" by C. Boyd, originally published on Malwarebytes.