Mail promising last minute discounts for holidays in dream destinations. Or requiring an urgent response because the flight would be canceled or the credit card used to book it would be rejected. Ads that bounce on social media media ensuring accommodation at super discounted prices. Too good to be true. And in fact they are not.
Online scams have arrived – phishing – themed summer holidays and are very ferocious, exploiting the emotions of users to extort money or install viruses. The alarm comes from two reports, published in June a few days apart from each other, by companies specialized in cyber security Ermes and Bitdefender. Along with some tips to defend against these threats.
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Summer Vacation Themed Scams
For example, Bitdefender has seen the circulation, these days, of phishing attacks using keywords related to summer holidays and airlines more popular. They advertise surveys and gift card giveaways, actually used to steal money and user credentials. Bitdefender also detects the presence of new dangerous websites, “for sending ‘urgent’ invoice or credit card transaction messages that trick users into downloading malware “. “Cybercriminals have also exploited malicious domains and URLs to trick potential victims into download infected attachments in the form of invoices and credit card transactions that usually, by causing an emotional reaction from recipients, lead them to fall victim to the scam, ”warns Bitdefender. Bitdefender’s spam and malware filters also detected “a particularly dangerous campaign” in which spammers posing as popular hotel chains international and tour operators they actually broadcast trojans capable of stealing credentials. Among others, there are the brand names Accor Hotels, Panorama Tours, Meritus Hotels and many others.
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On the airlines, on the other hand, there are the fraudulent promises of bonus flight hours, notices regarding the reservation, free of air tickets. There are also offers, obviously false, of all-inclusive holidays at bargain pricesyour mail or social media.
Similarly, Ermes warns that “from April to today, hackers have changed their target: in this period, in fact, attacks move from e-commerce sites to travel sites exploiting the trust in online booking and the low budget, planning harmful campaigns which, close to the summer season, have risen dangerously by more than 20% “. “The target of the hackers? Get hold of the credit card details of buyers, steal their digital identity and information sensitive by hitting institutions the likes of Booking, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Marriott International, British Airways and LOT, already targeted by cybercriminals in the past, but also companies, as more and more people book online from corporate devices ”.
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Tips to defend yourself
Among the advice of Ermes, aimed at these scams, there is that of “create an email address for travel only: “Using a travel-only e-mail address is an easy way to keep track of all documents and booking information in a single mailbox”. “A separate email address, above all, reduces the likelihood of leaving behind sensitive information such as bank statements or pay slips.”
Then in general Ermes remembers that “when you use a third party website to book a flight, a hotel, a trip or a dinner, you must always check how, where and why store our data”.
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Bitdefender’s advice also comes in handy: use trustworthy and authentic platforms for holiday booking, then ignore emails offering us discounts if we’re not sure it’s the sender is legitimate (for example that they really come from an airline or travel platform to which we have given our email for these purposes).
“Before buying a vacation via a social media ad, it’s a good idea to do research and not just rely on positive reviews and high ratings – they can be faked,” advises Bitdefender. Check the offer for grammatical errors, misspellings or inconsistencies – these are danger indicators. Do not click on unsolicited links or attachments, even if the offer seems inviting. Always make sure that the contract or accommodation exists before making the payment. Never give out your credit card number or sensitive information while on a phone call with a travel agency. If the person insistently asks for this information, it is unequivocally a scam. Never use bank wire or cryptocurrency transfers to pay for your booking. Instead, use a credit card or PayPal accountso you can easily challenge any fraudulent charges.
In short, experience and common sense are needed. An extra measure is to install an antivirus, even as a browser extension, with anti-fraud and anti-phishing filtering systems against dangerous emails and sites.