April 07, 2025
Planning a vacation this year? Make sure your confirmation e-mail
is legit BEFORE you click anything!
That's right, summer is right around the
corner and cybercriminals are exploiting travel season by sending fake
booking confirmations that look nearly identical to e-mails from airlines,
hotels and travel agencies. These scams are designed to steal personal and
financial information, hijack your online accounts and even infect your device
with malware.
Even tech-savvy travelers are falling for it.
Here's How The Scam Goes
A Fake Booking Confirmation Lands In
Your Inbox
●
The e-mail can appear to come from
well-known travel companies like Expedia, Delta or Marriott.
●
Hackers often use official logos, correct formatting and even "customer support" numbers.
●
Subject lines create a sense of urgency:
○
"Your Trip To Miami Has Been
Confirmed! Click Here For Details"
○
"Your Flight Itinerary Has Changed
- Click Here For Updates"
○
"Action
Required: Confirm Your Hotel Stay"
○
"Final Step:
Complete Your Rental Car Reservation"
You Click The Link And Get Redirected To
A Fake Website
●
The e-mail urges you to "log in" to confirm
details, update payment info or download your itinerary.
●
Clicking the link takes you to a convincing but
fake website that captures your credentials when you enter them.
Hackers Steal Your Information And/Or
Money
●
If you enter your login credentials on
the website they are impersonating, hackers now have access to your airline,
hotel or financial accounts.
●
If you enter payment details, they steal your credit
card information or process fraudulent transactions.
●
If the link contains malware, your
device (and everything on it) could be compromised.
Why This Scam Is So Effective
- It Looks Legit: These phishing e-mails
perfectly mimic real confirmation e-mails - logos, formatting and even
links that look familiar.
- It Plays
On Urgency: Seeing a "reservation issue" or "flight change"
triggers panic, making people act fast without thinking.
- People
Are Distracted: Whether they're in the middle of work or excited
about an upcoming trip, they're less likely to double-check an e-mail's
authenticity.
- It's Not
Just Personal - It's a business risk too.
If you or your team travels for
work, this scam becomes even more dangerous. Many businesses have one person
handling all reservations - flights, hotels, rental cars, conference bookings.
Because they receive so many
confirmation e-mails, it's easy for a fraudulent one to slip through. A single
click from your office manager, travel coordinator or executive assistant
could:
●
Expose your company credit card to fraud.
●
Compromise login credentials for corporate
travel accounts.
●
Introduce malware into your company
network if the scam contains malicious attachments.
How
To Protect Yourself And Your Business
- Verify Before You Click - Always go directly to the
airline, hotel or booking website instead of clicking e-mail links.
- Check The Sender's E-mail Address - Scammers use
addresses that are close but not
exact (e.g., "@deltacom.com" instead of "@delta.com").
- Warn
Your Team - Train employees to recognize phishing scams,
especially those handling company travel bookings.
- Enable Multifactor Authentication (MFA) - Even if credentials
are stolen, MFA adds an extra layer of security.
- Lock
Down Business E-mail Accounts - Ensure e-mail security measures are in
place to block malicious links and attachments.
Don't
Let A Fake Travel E-mail Cost You Business
Cybercriminals know exactly when and how to strike - and travel
season is prime time.
If you or anyone on your team books
work-related travel, handles reservations or manages expense reports, you're a
target.
Let's make sure your business is
protected.
Start with a FREE Cybersecurity
Assessment. We'll check for vulnerabilities,
strengthen your defenses and help safeguard your team against phishing scams
like this.