Attackers create convincing copies of hotel websites, luxury villa rental platforms, private aviation brokers, and yacht charter companies. They may contact you shortly before your trip claiming there's an issue with your reservation or asking you to confirm your card details. This is travel phishing and smishing, designed to catch you when you are tired, in transit and distracted.
These scams often look completely legitimate because criminals use genuine branding, real booking details, or information gathered from previous data breaches. The problem can be exacerbated when real airline disruption occurs because when systems genuinely go down, fake rebooking messages flood in.
Warning signs of phishing
- Urgent texts or emails about flights, bookings, refunds, or payment you didn't expect
- Links that don't quite match the airline's or hotel's real web address
- Requests for card details, passwords, or codes to confirm a booking
Destination: Reality
In mid-2025, major airlines including Qantas and Hawaiian Airlines were hit by cyberattacks, with one losing data on roughly six million travelers. Criminals used real disruption as cover, sending convincing messages that mimic airlines and hotels.
