Visa Just Reported an 81% Uptick in Payment Fraud — How to Avoid Travel Scams Including Fake Airline Sites and ‘Digital Pickpocketing’

While many travelers will soon be hitting the roads and taking to the skies for holidays, a new report shows that anyone planning a getaway should be wary of credit card scams while booking any upcoming trips.

There are several major travel scams people should look out for this season from fake airline websites to fake concert tickets, and more, according to a new report from Visa about emerging scams the company shared with Travel + Leisure.

In fact, from January to June of this year, Visa saw an 81 percent increase in Payment Fraud Disruption from the previous 6-month period — with a total loss of $184,000 to customers. Sixty-one percent of scams in this time period happened in the United States.

But there are measures travelers can take to prevent falling victim to them. 

“Scammers are increasingly targeting travelers with sophisticated schemes that can ruin trips and cause significant financial loss,” Michael Jabbara, the SVP, global head of fraud services at Visa, told T+L. “To protect themselves, travelers should stay vigilant and double-check the legitimacy of deals and communications. Setting up purchase alerts to monitor transactions, enabling two-factor authentication, and treating codes like passwords are essential safeguards.”

The report also noted that the expansion of artificial intelligence is also becoming an increasing concern.

Fake tickets are on the rise, according to Visa’s report, even as travelers are going far and wide to catch popular events like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. And these scams are affecting more than just concerts, targeting everything from festivals to sporting events. 

Travelers should also be cautious of “digital pickpocketing” where a person creates a mobile point of sale for a fake merchant on their phone and discreetly brushes up against wallets and purses to try to force a purchase through. The scheme came about in March of 2023, according to Visa.

To avoid falling victim, Visa said travelers should be careful to purchase directly from an official retailer’s website or a reputable ticket exchange site, and to be wary of people advertising tickets on social media, tickets that must be paid for with a bank transfer, and anything that looks “too good to be true” — it probably is.

Another common scam is fake airline sites in which scammers set up a site that looks like a real carrier, advertising low prices. Then once a traveler books, the scammer tries to upcharge them for in-flight amenities before cutting off communication with the victim.

Travelers should also be wary of their email since scammers may send out fake flight cancellation emails and demand someone’s credit card information to rebook, Visa warned.

And when it comes to contacting the airline, Visa’s report warns travelers to make sure they are calling the carrier’s official number since fake airline websites could end up leading customers to a fake customer service representative who “will ‘assist’ the cardholder in booking or changing a flight, only to charge the victim’s account high dollar booking or change fees… and the victim’s actual flight never booked or changed.”

Visa also found an increase in old-fashioned travel-related crimes like the physical theft of cards and phones, including by using card capture devices in places like ATM’s or simply stealing someone’s belongings. Of course, being pickpocketed is always a risk on a trip, but there are certain precautions travelers can take and products they can invest in (like phone lanyards and RFID-blocking bags) to minimize that risk.