A few weeks before his flight from Minneapolis to Florence, Italy, Scott Mayer received an email from United Airlines saying that his flight had been cancelled and owed $600 in “cancellation” fees.
Just one problem: United says it didn’t send it.
Mayer, an event producer from Minneapolis, had been contacted by a scammer trying to prod him into sharing personal information — his address, birthday, and credit card number.
Travel fakes like this appear to be on the uptick in 2025. Criminals are using artificial intelligence to create fake websites, listings and social media profiles designed to separate you from your money. No one keeps statistics on travel scams like these. However, plenty of anecdotal evidence shows that the problem is worsening.
But you don’t have to become a statistic.
A fake United email — and a fake call centre.
Mayer says he called United and was transferred to someone who claimed to work for the airline.
Although Mayer refused to pay the $600 — which was the right call since United doesn’t charge a cancellation fee for flights it cancels — his flight somehow got cancelled, anyway, he had to pay $1,596 for a ticket on another airline.
But when Mayer called United to get this resolved, it offered him neither an explanation nor a refund.
“I would like to be reimbursed for my canceled flights,” he told me.
I asked United to take a closer look at Mayer’s cancellation.
“Unfortunately, we believe this customer fell victim to a scam,” United spokeswoman Erin Jankowski told me.
The airline refunded his flight — a rare happy ending.
Jankowski noted that contacting it directly via United.com or the United mobile app for any booking or reservation changes would prevent future scams.
Perhaps. But the scammers are savvy.
Here’s what else is out there:
Fake vacation rentals. You find the perfect beach house, but it’s a run-down shack when you arrive. Or worse, the property doesn’t exist.
“It’s so frustrating to arrive at your vacation accommodation and discover it looks nothing like how it was advertised,” says Don Jones, managing director of Andrew Harper, a travel company. “This happens all too often.”
How to avoid being burned? Do a reverse image search to see if the property photos are legit. Also, cross-check listings on multiple platforms.
“Listings with no reviews may be a red flag,” advises Abhishek Karnik, head of threat research at cybersecurity company McAfee. “In addition, try to validate the site exists by checking to see whether it has been referenced in legitimate media outlets.”
Fake airline and travel agency websites. These sites look real, but they’re designed to steal your credit card information. Often, they offer fares that are too good to be true. If an unbelievable deal tempts you, chances are you’re looking at a bogus site.
“Make sure the company you found online really exists by cross-referencing it against reliable third-party sources,” says Chris Pierson, CEO of BlackCloak, a cybersecurity company. “These could include legitimate travel directory listings, chambers of commerce, or official visitors guides.”
One strain of fake sites is particularly worrisome. It fools search engines into thinking it’s the correct phone number for a travel company. People will Google phrases like, “How to talk to a human at [insert name of airline]” — and up pop the scammers. Scammers wait for you on the other end of the line, waiting to collect your personal information. Never search for company information like that — always go to a trusted source or directly to the company.
Fake emails. Phishing scams are also a problem. You get an email or text message that looks like it’s from your airline, but it’s actually from a scammer trying to steal your personal information. Be careful about clicking links in unsolicited messages, even if they look official.
“The proliferation of AI is an impending threat to travel due to tech-scams including deepfake cons, identity impersonation, or misleading travel advice from bots,” says Harding Bush, an associate director of security for Global Rescue. “That puts travelers at risk of fraud, misinformation, or malicious intent when booking trips or managing itineraries.”
Speaking of AI, criminals are also using AI to generate fake reviews and articles. And it’s almost impossible to spot a fake.
“In the old days, it was common to find basic mistakes in fake or impersonated websites, such as ESL language, spelling and grammar errors, odd word choices and low quality copied images and logos,” adds Pierson of BlackCloak. “However, with the advent of generative AI, this is no longer the case.”
As before, you can usually ferret a fake with a simple sniff test: If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.
However, there are other ways of finding fraud online.
How do you spot a fake when you’re booking travel?
Here’s how to stay safe:
- Book through a legit source. This includes airlines, hotels, and tour operators with a proven track record. “Stick to well-known and reputable travel websites and service providers,” advises Frank Harrison, regional security director for the Americas at World Travel Protection.
- Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true. If a deal seems unrealistic, it probably is. “Given the rise in phishing in the travel industry, offers that sound too good to be true should be a warning sign of potential fraud,” says Rishika Desai, a threat researcher at AI, a predictive security firm.
- Double-check everything. Verify your reservations and payments. “Double-check booking confirmations and payment receipts, and look for reviews on multiple platforms to validate the service or accommodation,” Harrison says.
- Be safe out there. Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication. Don’t recycle your passwords. And be extra careful when using a public Wi-Fi network. “Public networks are often unencrypted, meaning that cybercriminals can intercept data transmitted over these networks, putting your information at risk of being compromised,” warns McAfee’s Karnik. If you must use public Wi-Fi, get a virtual private network (VPN) to protect yourself.
This problem is going to get worse in 2025.
I have a prediction: In 2025, this problem will get worse — much worse. It would not surprise me if, at the end of 2025, I wrote a story declaring that this was the year of the travel fake.
Why? First, travel is expensive, and that means people are desperate for deals. That’s fertile soil on which criminals can cultivate their fraud. Second, AI is so advanced that scammers can easily create sites or call centres that would fool even the most sophisticated traveller. (And before you ask — yes, I’ve almost been duped by it). Finally, I have seen how these scammers operate when they try to place their fraudulent numbers on my online directory of company executives, and I’m impressed — but not in a good way — with their determination and creativity.
Cases like Mayer’s represent only a fragment of the real problem. It’s hard to tell the real thing from a fake anymore. We’re travelling in dangerous times. Be careful out there, my friends.
Written by: Christopher Elliott
BIO:
Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and the Elliott Report, a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can reach him here or email him at chris@elliott.org.
