Travel Phishing: If It Seems Fishy, It Might Actually Be Phishy
It is summertime which means that the beach is calling. Unfortunately, so are travel phishing scammers.
The change in season brings an influx of travel-based scams and unfortunately, our eagerness to book the next vacation is making us more vulnerable to fraud.
If there is one thing we know about humans, it is that we love bargains. Especially when it is masked as an all-inclusive buffet + wine tasting + ocean-view deal.
But booking with caution now will save you a lot of stress later. That way, you won’t be mid-margarita when your bank calls to inform you that your identity was stolen and your child’s college fund just bought a lifetime supply of steak and an alarming amount of inflatable pool flamingos. (Or in my ID theft case, an expensive house in Boca Raton.)
In this article we dive into the hottest scams and how to keep cool this season…
How Travel Phishing Scams Trick Us
| Email Spoofing | Scammers are experts at making emails look genuine by mimicking the logos and formatting of real companies. So double check those emails from travel agencies, airlines, and hotel booking websites. |
| Social Media Lures | This includes fake promotions and contests, influencer impersonation, and malicious downloads disguised as links to exclusive deals or apps. |
| Vendor Compromise Attacks | Scammers may attack travel agencies, booking platforms, or tour operators to gain unauthorized access to sensitive customer information. |
| HR Department Impersonations and Credential-Harvesting Scams | Hackers gather personal info through these conversations to later sell this data to the dark web. |
| Chat GPT | AI is making phishing attempts more convincing and therefore harder to detect. |
| Urgency and Fear Tactics | By putting pressure on victims to take immediate action (“limited time only!”) scammers hope to bypass your critical thinking. |
| Social Engineering | By impersonating customer service representatives or travel agents, hackers may be using emotional and psychological manipulation tactics to request money and/or information. |
What You Can Do About Travel Cyberattacks
- Be skeptical of unsolicited promotions, contests, or giveaways. Trust your instinct. If it seems fishy, it’s likely phishing.
- Stay informed about common travel phishing scams.
- Double check website URLS. Make sure it is spelled properly, HTTPS encryption, and trust indicators like padlock symbols.
- Enable two factor authentication to travel related accounts. This adds an extra layer of security by sending a code to your mobile device.
- Verify account authenticity. Check for verification badges and signs of legitimacy on social media accounts. Cross-check by doing independent research.
- Be careful where you click. Web-based threats are getting harder to detect. Take a few extra minutes to research the company before clicking on any links.
- Be selective about who you share your personal information with. AI chatbots will steal valuable credentials if you are too quick to trust them.
- Don’t use free public wifi or charging stations. Why? Because if something is convenient to you, it likely is convenient to hackers as well. So go ahead and pack that extra battery pack and buy the larger data plan.
So next time you might see a bargain and think “this is too good to be true”, it likely is. Sorry. However, there is hope! Cautious booking means carefree vacationing. By remaining vigilant, staying informed, verifying authenticity, and adopting secure practices, you can navigate the travel landscape confidently, ensuring that your vacations remain moments of joy rather than becoming tales of travel phishing woe.
Safe travels!
John Sileo is an award-winning cybersecurity keynote speaker who has entertained and informed audiences for two decades. He is proud to have spoken at the Pentagon and Amazon, written four books on cybersecurity, and been inducted into the National Speakers Hall of Fame. He has appeared on 60 Minutes, NBC, ABC, Fox, CNN, Rachael Ray, and Anderson Cooper. John’s work has been quoted and published in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, and Kiplinger’s. John’s greatest joy is spending time in the mountains with his amazing wife and adventurous daughters.
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