Airline travel is not always pleasant and it is not unusual for flights to be delayed or cancelled. Delays and cancellations occur for a number of reasons including bad weather and air traffic control issues. Scammers capitalize on these delays and cancellations by posing as airline customer service representatives. Weary travelers are always looking for help and assistance from their airline. Often the inconvenienced travelers will turn to social media for help and scammers who monitor social media for posts from disgruntled travelers respond posing as airline customer service representatives. The scammers lure their targeted victims into clicking on links to go to AI created phony airline websites where they are manipulated into providing personal information such as credit card information that can be used to make them victims of identity theft. In other instances they may ask for a fee to rebook a flight or change the itinerary.
In addition, sophisticated scammers create phony airline customer service websites that get a high position in a search engine search by either manipulating the algorithms of the search engines or by merely buying a high placement. You are better off using your airline’s app to get customer service.
TIPS
Never click on a link in any email, text message or social media post that purports to take you to a company with which you do business. The risk of it being a scam or downloading dangerous malware is too great. Instead, go directly to the website of the company through a URL that you know is legitimate. In the case of an airline, contact customer service through the airline’s official website, app or phone number you have confirmed is legitimate.
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