Travel Scams Part 1: Airline Scams

Daniel Klibanoff’s Advice on how to Protect Against the Latest Plane Ticket Cons

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According to the Better Business Bureau’s analysis of reports from their scam tracker, an estimated nearly one in five Americans have been scammed while booking travel online. Considering how many Americans plan to travel this holiday now that the Covid-19 Pandemic has ended, that number is predicted to increase substantially. Many new online travel scams specifically target senior citizens as they are thought to be less tech savvy than other demographic groups.

The Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) scam tracker allows users to report scams that the BBB uses to investigate and warn others. In one recently reported Travel/Vacation/Timeshare Scam the victim shares that they purchased airline tickets with a well-known company through a discount booker. The victim was told that the flight was canceled and they needed to pay an additional fee to book a new flight. However, the flight was never actually booked and the victim’s money from the original purchase and the rebook fee disappeared.

Scam artists have enhanced their cons to focus on potential victims making online purchases. People who do not use the internet often, such as elders, become targets of these scams. We at Elder Protective Services believe the best way to avoid a scam is to be aware of the newest frauds, their warning signs and red flags. In this article, we list three of the latest airline and travel scams and how to protect yourself and others against them.

The Fake Flight:

The Scam: In this situation, a scammer creates a believable, but fake website that mimics a popular airline company or travel agency. The victim is offered a huge discount and purchases tickets from the fake website directly. The victim may receive a confirmation call, text, or email, but when they call the airline company, there is no record of purchase – the money is gone completely. In addition to stealing money, the scammer also has access to the victim’s sensitive information such as their credit card number, phone number, physical address, and more.

What to Look For

Although phony discount ticket websites can look legitimate, there are a few red flags that should make one pause and put protective measures in place.

• Poor Grammar: Misspelled words and the use of poor grammar is a tell-tale sign that an online website or app is a phony. Major travel companies have marketing and editing teams to make sure their pages are free from grammatical mistakes.
• Pressure to Act Quickly: A common red flag for a fraudulent site is the use of pressure-tactics. If a ticket-booking website tries to pressure you with phrases like “This Discount is Available for 10 Minutes Only” or “Act now before it’s too late” it might be a fake.
• Request to Wire Money: NEVER engage with a site that requires a wire money transfer. Scammers prefer these payment methods because they are harder to track. In general, using credit cards or checks is a safer payment method.

Protect Yourself

• DO NOT give into high-pressure sales tactics. These are meant to scare you into completing a deal that is ultimately a scam or provide sensitive information to a hacker.
• Verify the URL of the website you are booking your tickets on.
• Check the spelling of the domain. Misspellings or typos could indicate the website is a phony.
• Use Google’s reverse image search to see if the logo or design was stolen from a legitimate company.
• Research: If you are new to purchasing travel tickets online, research an airline company, travel agency, or booking site on the Better Business Bureau website (www.bbb.org).
• Scrutinize the Safety: You can check the security of a website in your browser by clicking the padlock icon to the left of the URL.
• Check that there is a valid security certificate issued to the company you’re booking with. If there is now security certificate, do not use the website. If you have already provided the website with sensitive information, go to IdentityTheft.gov for steps you can take to protect your identity.
• NEVER provide personal, sensitive, or financial information, like a credit card, Bank Routing, or Social Security number to a site or person without verifying their identity.

Advice from Elder Protective Services: Research ticket prices before completing a transaction. Oftentimes tickets are more expensive directly through the airline company, but your financial safety and peace of mind are worth spending a little more!

Additional Fees:

The Scam: In this scam, a victim has already made an airline ticket purchase through a third-party website or discount ticket booking application. After receiving confirmation of their purchase, the victim receives a phone call, text, or email about one of the following:

• The victim has purchased a legitimate ticket, but a con artist contacts them requesting payment for bag check-in or some other fee that sounds believable. The airline will never see these payments and the victim may need to pay again at the airport.
• The victim has purchased a fake flight ticket and is contacted about the flight being canceled. The scammer coerces them into paying a rebooking fee for another flight that does not exist. When the victim calls the airline or shows up at the airport, there is no record of the flight purchase or rebooking.
• The victim is contacted by the ticket-booking company and is told there has been a sudden price increase. They pressure the victim into paying an extra charge in order to finalize the booking. In this scenario, the tickets were likely purchased through a scam website and no ticket exists.

In any of these examples, the victim will lose the money spent on tickets and fees, but could also have their personal information stolen and sold on the black market. If you believe you gave your personal information to a scammer, go to IdentityTheft.gov for steps you can take to protect your identity.

What to Look For

• Immediate Contact from a Customer Service Representative: After booking and paying for tickets, if you receive a phone call from a customer service representative claiming that your flight is canceled or you need to pay an additional fee, hang up. Do not engage in the conversation. End the call and contact the airline or travel company directly.
• Additional Fee Request: According to the BBB, the biggest red flag for this scam is any communication requesting more money after purchasing your ticket. Legitimate airline companies will not operate like this.
• Pressure to Act Quickly: A common red flag for a fraudulent site is the use of pressure-tactics. If a ticket-booking website tries to pressure you, it might be a fake.
• Request to Wire Money: NEVER engage with a site that requires a wired money transfer. Scammers prefer these payment methods because they are harder to track. In general, using credit cards or checks is a safer payment method.

Protect Yourself

• Contact the airline company or travel agency if an additional fee is requested.
• Verify the URL of the website you are booking your tickets on.
• Check the spelling of the domain. Misspellings or typos could indicate the website is a phony.
• Use Google’s reverse image search to see if the logo or design was stolen form a legitimate company.
• Research: If you are new to purchasing travel tickets online, research an airline company, travel agency, or booking site on the Better Business Bureau website (www.bbb.org).
• NEVER provide personal, sensitive, or financial information, like a credit card, Bank Routing, or Social Security number to a site or person without verifying their identity.

Flight Cancellation Refunds:

The Scam: This con operates by sending victims a flight cancellation email that includes a clickable link for a “refund.” Scammers will coax sensitive and financial information out of the victim. The victim will need to provide information like name, address, Bank Routing or Credit Card number, and even a Social Security Number. Once this information is gathered, the victim will NOT receive any type of refund. The scammer will either use the information to exploit the victim financially or illegally sell their sensitive information.

In addition, clicking insecure links might lead to malware downloaded onto the user’s computer or phone. Even if the victim does not provide their personal information through the link, the unintentionally downloaded malware can allow the scammer access to private data from the victim’s device itself.

What to Look For

Although each con artist has their own style of flight cancellation emails, there are a few red flags that warn potential victims to not open links or attachments. Compare these red flags to the sample email below.

• Not Addressed to You: A vague “Dear Customer” can indicate that an email is fraudulent. Most airline companies will include the name of the purchaser somewhere in the message.
• Poor Grammar: Misspelled words and the use of poor grammar is a tell-tale sign that an email correspondence is phony. Major travel companies have marketing and editing teams to make sure their messages are free from grammatical mistakes.
• Missing Logo: An email sent without the company’s logo or header is a red flag. Do not click any links, but rather contact the company directly.
• No Phone Number: Do not trust an email that encourages you to click on a link or download an attachment, but does NOT provide a customer service phone number. Again, contact the airline or travel company directly using their official website.

Excerpt of Example Email*

Dear Customer,   Due to the recent developments, ______ has to cancel your flight.   As our call centers are currently experiencing an unprecedented workload, _______ has set-up an exceptional, similpified and automated refund process.   you can immediately collect your refund worth your ticket amount by clicking on the below link (one voucher per passenger).   > CLICK HERE: COLLECT MY REFUND

Protect Yourself

• Remember if you purchase tickets from a legitimate airline company or travel agency, you will be rebooked for free if your flight is canceled. Any flight cancellation that requires a rebooking or additional fee is a scam.
• Do not click on any links or attachments from an unexpected email. If you receive an email about a flight cancellation, call the airline company directly using their official website.
• Keep sensitive information private. If you receive an unexpected phone call from someone claiming to be a customer services representative from your ticket-booking company, immediately hang up when asked to provide personal information, such as your credit card number or SSN. Find your airline’s customer support number online, and double-check any details with them directly.

Advice from Elder Protective Services: NEVER click on links or share them with your friends unless you are sure they came for a reputable source.

Key Takeaways:

The best way to protect yourself or your loved ones from airline and travel scams targeting seniors is to simply be aware. Keep the red flags of common travel scams in mind and put protections in place to avoid losing money or having personal information stolen. Remember:

• Contact the airline company or travel agency if anything feels strange
• DO NOT give into high-pressure sales tactics
• Verify the URL of the website you are booking your tickets on
• Research an airline company, travel agency, or booking site on the Better Business Bureau website
• Be Safe and Secure by checking the security of a website in your browser
• NEVER share your personal or financial information
• DO NOT wire money to unverified sources

Steps to Report Airline and Travel Scams

• Contact the Airline Company or Travel Agency Directly: If something feels suspicious during any point of your ticket-booking experience, especially after making the purchase, confirm any suspicions by contacting the company directly through their official website, then follow the steps below.
• Check your bank statements for signs of fraud. If you unintentionally provided scammers with your financial information, they might take advantage and make purchases with that stolen information. Look out for suspicious charges – even the small ones. That $1.91 charge might be to verify that the stolen bank account or credit card information works.
• Contact your credit card company or bank immediately. Report any unauthorized charges or if you think a scammer stole your credit card number. Each credit card company will provide additional next steps and may ask that you freeze your credit with one or all of the three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Freezing your credit makes it harder for scammers to take out loans or open new accounts using your name or information.
• Report your suspicion or the scam to the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC is responsible for protecting consumers and their personal information. The FTC cannot resolve singular complaints, but they provide individualized next steps.
• If you were the victim of an airline or travel scam by purchasing discount tickets online, file a complaint with the IC3. The IC3 is the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a government agency that makes it easy for individuals to report a crime that takes place online. They work with the FBI and local authorities to help manage and solve internet scams, such as fake flight tickets scams.
• Report a scam with the Better Business Bureau’s Scam tracker. The Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) scam tracker allows users to report scams that all the BBB investigate and warn others.
• If you believe you gave your personal information to a scammer, go to IdentityTheft.gov for steps you can take to protect your identity.

Daniel Klibanoff, an advocate for seniors, is currently serving as the President and CEO of Multimedia Lists, Inc. Daniel is also the founder and director of Elder Protective Services, an enterprise aimed to serve and protect elders. Learn more at https://elderprotectiveservices.org/