New ask Hacker News story: Scammed for my airline reservation info
Scammed for my airline reservation info
2 by spicypancake | 1 comments on Hacker News.
The scammers are at it again, and they’re getting more creative and ruthless. Today my gf wanted to upgrade her flight on a major commercial airline. She wasn’t able to do so online, so immediately googled the airline, in the sponsored google results there was a toll free number to call. She called the number and gave the “agent” her booking reference number and her last name. The "agent" asked for additional flight details like flight number and destination, but those weren’t really necessary. After she gave the details the “agent” hung up immediately. It was soon apparent that this was a scammer. Immediately panic set in, what could they possibly do with that information? Upon further investigation, they can do quite a bit. They can add food to the flight, change the seat, pay for an upgrade, all of which require payment and make life better. However, they can also cancel the flight without verifying any further information. Evidently the scam is to cancel the reservation and resell the travel voucher since it’s only a 13 digit code and transferable. Be vigilant out there, and be sure to use ad-blockers to block sponsored Google ads.
2 by spicypancake | 1 comments on Hacker News.
The scammers are at it again, and they’re getting more creative and ruthless. Today my gf wanted to upgrade her flight on a major commercial airline. She wasn’t able to do so online, so immediately googled the airline, in the sponsored google results there was a toll free number to call. She called the number and gave the “agent” her booking reference number and her last name. The "agent" asked for additional flight details like flight number and destination, but those weren’t really necessary. After she gave the details the “agent” hung up immediately. It was soon apparent that this was a scammer. Immediately panic set in, what could they possibly do with that information? Upon further investigation, they can do quite a bit. They can add food to the flight, change the seat, pay for an upgrade, all of which require payment and make life better. However, they can also cancel the flight without verifying any further information. Evidently the scam is to cancel the reservation and resell the travel voucher since it’s only a 13 digit code and transferable. Be vigilant out there, and be sure to use ad-blockers to block sponsored Google ads.
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