Airfare scams are cashing in on canceled flights
Airline industry profits are projected to exceed $25 billion in 2024 according to the International Air Transport Association, but scammers continue taking advantage of consumers by fabricating flight cancellation notices. BBB Scam Tracker has received multiple reports of scammers creating fake airline ticket booking sites or customer service numbers to charge travelers for rescheduling fake flights. If you are buying airfare, use caution and double-check the URL or phone number before providing your credit card information.
While searching for cheap flights online, you come across what seems like a great deal with a major airline. You book the flight — either through the website or by calling a customer support number. But shortly after making the payment, you receive a call from the company saying there’s been a sudden price increase or an extra charge to finalize your booking. This is something a legitimate company would never do! It turns out that you accidentally purchased tickets through a scam website or a phony customer service number. The price increase is a way to get more money out of you.
In another example of this scam, a victim reported, “Tried to purchase discounted airfare. Came across ravefare.com. Put card number in and was charged more than the original amount stated. Received an email that my tickets were being processed. I have never received the tickets and no one answers the number I call.”
In another similar con, your original flight was real, but the cancellation notice is fake. You get an email or text message claiming that your upcoming flight has been canceled and you need to rebook. When you call the number provided, the “airline” offers to book you a new ticket – for a price. However, if you follow up with real airline support, you’ll discover that nothing was wrong with your original flight. The message was a scam, and you just gave your credit card details to a con artist.
Another victim told BBB Scam Tracker: “I thought that I bought airline tickets with United Airlines through a company that sells at discounted prices. They called me shortly after I bought my tickets and said that the flight had been canceled. They wanted permission to put me on another flight with Southwest and said it would be 80 dollars extra… It turned out that United Airlines never canceled a flight. I tried to call this company and leave a message, and I tried to email them to no avail. It turns out that the airlines were unaware of this ticket purchase.”
How to avoid travel scams
• Do your research. If you come across a company you haven’t dealt with before, research it before making any purchases. Look on BBB.org for reviews and feedback from previous customers. As a safe practice, use travel businesses or agencies that are BBB Accredited.
• Double check flight details before calling support. Scammers are blasting out fake airline cancellation emails and text messages that can easily be mistaken for the real deal. Confirm the information in the message – such as the flight and reservation numbers – is correct before calling customer support.
• Confirm the URL before you enter personal and payment information. It can be easy to click on a sponsored ad or impostor website without noticing. Before entering any sensitive information, double-check that you are on the right website and that the link is secure. Secure links start with “HTTPS://” and include a lock icon on the purchase page.
• Be wary of third-party websites. Some websites appear to offer a legitimate service but are only fronts for scams. Be suspicious of websites with no working customer service number or physical address. Typos and grammatical errors can be indications of a scammer’s handiwork.
• Make online purchases with your credit card. Fraudulent charges on a credit card can usually be disputed, whereas that might not be the case with other payment methods. Unfortunately, there is no way to get back the personal information you may have shared.
For more information and to learn how to protect yourself, Google “BBB 10 Steps to Avoid Scams.” If you spot a scam, whether you have lost money or not, report it to BBB’s Scam Tracker at BBB.org/ScamTracker and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your story can help protect consumers from similar scams.
Rick Walz is the President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Northern Indiana, which serves 23 counties. Contact the BBB at 800-5524631 or visit www.bbb.org.