Online flight and hotel booking scams

Users who book flights, hotels, and tours online without vigilance may fall victim to scams, losing money without being able to purchase tickets or use the services.

Data released by the Global Anti-Fraud Alliance in 2023 showed that Vietnamese people lost nearly $16 billion to online fraud, out of a global total of $53 billion. The high rate of smartphone use creates a favorable environment for new online fraud activities to emerge. Travel services are among the most popular digital resources accessed by people, from searching for information to booking travel services online. These factors contribute to the increase in digital fraud.

Scammers use many sophisticated tricks to trap users. Photo: Viet Nga — Scammers use many sophisticated tricks to trap users. Photo: *Viet* *Nga*

During peak periods such as holidays or tourist seasons, the demand for airline tickets and hotels is high. This creates opportunities for fraudsters to take advantage and carry out scams targeting unsuspecting victims.

Accordingly, exploiting the gullibility of customers, fraudsters post advertisements on social media or send emails about discounted tickets, cheap fares, and affiliate programs with attractive commission rates. These individuals take full advantage of anonymity to announce rewards for free services, or impersonate employees of airline or hotel providers to promote attractive offers. In some cases, they even falsify brand names and addresses, causing trusting customers to overlook the differences.

After providing service consultations, these individuals request customers to transfer money to their personal bank accounts to reserve a seat. For some low-value tickets, the scam group initially confirms the ticket to build trust; once the deposit is higher, they cut off contact.

With the increasing rate of scams, customers need to be cautious when encountering individuals who request personal information, including passwords, or offer unusually cheap tours, airline tickets, or hotel bookings. In such cases, users should always verify official accounts or contact them directly to ensure legitimacy and avoid providing personal information to strangers.

The online travel platform Traveloka advises customers to only book flights, hotels, or tickets for attractions and tours, and to make payments only on the official websites and apps of travel companies. "Legitimate travel companies or agencies will not ask customers to provide one-time passwords, OTPs, or click on links to provide personal information or account details," a Traveloka representative clarified.

Scammers are impersonating employees of travel agencies to commit fraud through various sophisticated methods. (Screenshot) — Scammers are impersonating employees of travel agencies to commit fraud through various sophisticated methods. *(Screenshot)*

Besides the aforementioned impersonation tactics, another common scam involves advertising visa application services, guaranteeing high success rates and promising full refunds if unsuccessful. Creating fake websites impersonating reputable travel companies and agencies is also a tactic used to generate counterfeit receipts and invoices, persuading victims to transfer travel expenses. After payment, the perpetrators may retain the information, refuse to return the money to the victim, or simply disappear.

Therefore, travelers should proactively protect themselves from online scams. Caution and vigilance are necessary, especially with advertisements promising surprisingly low prices or high discounts. This not only reduces the risk of becoming a victim of scams but also improves digital literacy in today's connected world .

Thanh Thu

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