Scam in the skies
I am hearing more and more reports about a certain travel scam that is not making the tech sites or mainstream news.
A “travel agent” or travel site selling fake plane tickets. You pay real cash for a flight that doesn’t actually exist, like booking a table at a restaurant that burned down in 2006.
Let’s break this down so you don’t accidentally vacation your identity into a black hole.
🚩 Sneaky setup
You search for tickets online or reply to a scam email. Overwhelmed by all the travel sites and apps, you choose what seems like a trustworthy source with awesome prices.
Maybe you end up emailing, chatting or talking to someone who promises they can get you a great rate on a ticket. So you hand over your name, phone number and payment details.
Using your information, they book what you think is a confirmed seat and say you’re good to go. You, the savvy shopper, go to the airline’s website and enter the flight information. Sweet, there’s your seat. You pat yourself on the back for saving money and consider your travel booked.
🥶 Two weeks later…
You try to check in for your flight. Except … you can’t. There’s no ticket. Never was. Turns out these crooks just made a seat reservation — they never paid for an actual ticket.
And now? You’re not going to Cabo. You’re going to Rage Town. Population: You.
Hopefully, you find this out long before you’re standing at an airport customer service counter, suitcase in hand! Either way, you’re out the money and the airline ticket.
😡 Outsmarting human malware
How do you protect yourself from this scam and all the other nasty travel tricks out there? For starters, if you find a deal too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.
- Don’t pay until you see a confirmation number or e‑ticket number. Anything else could just be a reservation, and that’s not a confirmed ticket.
- Book directly from the airline’s website to be extra safe. You may not get the lowest price, but hey, at least you can get frequent flier points.
- If you’re worried about a ticket, talk directly to the airline’s customer service department. Don’t call the travel agency booking site. Make sure the ticket is confirmed, not just reserved.
😂 While we’re talking flights … Did you hear about the new travel company I’m starting exclusively for bald people? Receding Airlines.
Tags: airplanes, fakes, malware, payment info, scams/scammers, travel
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