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          BBB Scam Alert: Airfare scams are cashing in on canceled flights

          By Better Business Bureau. February 26, 2024.
          person searching for flights online

          (Getty Images)

          Airline industry profits are projected to exceed $25 billion in 2024 according to the International Air Transport Association, but scammers continue taking advantage of consumers by fabricating flight cancellation notices. BBB Scam Tracker has received multiple reports of scammers creating fake airline ticket booking sites or customer service numbers to charge travelers for rescheduling fake flights. If you are buying airfare, use caution and double-check the URL or phone number before providing your credit card information.

          How the scam works

          While searching for cheap flights online, you come across what seems like a great deal with a major airline. You book the flight—either through the website or by calling a customer support number.

          But shortly after making the payment, you receive a call from the company saying there's been a sudden price increase or an extra charge to finalize your booking. This is something a legitimate company would never do! It turns out that you accidentally purchased tickets through a scam website or a phony customer service number. The price increase is a way to get more money out of you.

          One victim reported to BBB Scam Tracker, "Made flight reservations confirmed then they told us flight canceled but could give us same ticket at double cost. Advertised same flight 2 days in a row at Lower cost." In another example of this scam, a victim reported, "Tried to purchase discounted airfare. Came across ravefare.com. Put card number in and was charged more than the original amount stated. Received an email that my tickets were being processed. I have never received the tickets and no one answers the number I call."

          In another similar con, your original flight was real, but the cancellation notice is fake. You get an email or text message claiming that your upcoming flight has been canceled and you need to rebook. When you call the number provided, the “airline” offers to book you a new ticket – for a price. However, if you follow up with real airline support, you’ll discover that nothing was wrong with your original flight. The message was a scam, and you just gave your credit card details to a con artist.  

          A recent victim reported, "Thought I called Copa Airlines to find out why my online tickets didn't come. 1told price went up before payment was received. 2 then got a phone call from Joy ,Mgr 7326599896, needed $180 for taxes,gave my card #3needed passport copy because international flight. Copa Airlines confirmed scam. Cancelled and disputed credit card.Advised 3 card agencies to put a fraud alert on my card. Now I have a new credit card. Filed a ic3.gov complaint FBI. Wrote a letter to their address that I got from the credit card co telling them that all parties were investigating them,so not to use my information. My money was credited back to my account by the credit card company. They never refuted the dispute."

          Another victim told BBB Scam Tracker: "I thought that I bought airline tickets with United Airlines through a company that sells at discounted prices. They called me shortly after I bought my tickets and said that the flight had been canceled. They wanted permission to put me on another flight with Southwest and said it would be 80 dollars extra… It turned out that United Airlines never canceled a flight. I tried to call this company and leave a message, and I tried to email them to no avail. It turns out that the airlines were unaware of this ticket purchase.”

          How to avoid travel scams

          • Do your research. If you come across a company you haven’t dealt with before, research it before making any purchases. Look on BBB.org for reviews and feedback from previous customers. As a safe practice, use travel businesses or agencies that are BBB Accredited.

          • Double check flight details before calling support. Scammers are blasting out fake airline cancellation emails and text messages that can easily be mistaken for the real deal. Confirm the information in the message – such as the flight and reservation numbers – is correct before calling customer support.  

          • Confirm the URL before you enter personal and payment information. It can be easy to click on a sponsored ad or impostor website without noticing. Before entering any sensitive information, double-check that you are on the right website and that the link is secure. (Secure links start with “HTTPS//” and include a lock icon on the purchase page. Learn more at BBB.org/BBBSecure.)

          • Be wary of third-party websites. Some websites appear to offer a legitimate service but are only fronts for a scam. Be suspicious of websites with no working customer service number or physical address. Typos and grammatical errors can be indications of a scammer’s handiwork.

          • Make online purchases with your credit card. Fraudulent charges on a credit card can usually be disputed, whereas that might not be the case with other payment methods. Unfortunately, there is no way to get back the personal information you may have shared. 

          For more information

          See tips for flying safely on your vacation.

          For ways to protect yourself from travel scams, go to BBB.org/Travel. Read more about customer service number scams.

          Stay one step ahead of scammers by subscribing to BBB's weekly Scam Alert emails

          If you’ve been a victim of an airline ticket or other travel scam, please report your experience at BBB.org/ScamTracker. By doing so, you can help others to avoid falling prey to scammers.