The Department of Justice announced Thursday that it would launch a “broad public inquiry” into the state of competition in air travel — the government’s second inquiry into the airline industry in just the past two months.
24.10.2024 - 17:13 / travelandleisure.com
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
The Department of Justice announced Thursday that it would launch a “broad public inquiry” into the state of competition in air travel — the government’s second inquiry into the airline industry in just the past two months.
The Biden administration is launching a wide-ranging probe into the state of air travel in the U.S.
Fortunately for the procrastinators among us, there's still time left to score lingering deals on cheap flights during Christmas and the holidays. But the window to book the most affordable flights for the 2024 holiday season—including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s—is rapidly closing.
Fall road trip season is in full swing, and Amazon is making it easier to save on a leaf-peeping trip with a new gas offer for Prime members.
Over the last few years, the federal government has shown an increasing interest in credit cards and points and miles. Much of this originated with the proposed Credit Card Competition Act, but it has since expanded to major airlines and the loyalty programs they offer. Incidentally, the two original cosponsors of the CCCA were the first to call for an investigation into these frequent flyer programs — a call that ultimately led to the announcement of a formal probe by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Finland's flagship carrier, Finnair, will expand in the United States next summer, launching its largest-ever schedule from the U.S. to Finland.
Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate credit cards to write unbiased product reviews.
Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate credit cards to write unbiased product reviews.
A presidential campaign. A hurricane. A cult-favorite cabbage slaw.
Dorey Poder and Damir Konjicija didn’t have a vision for their wedding, because they didn’t think they’d be lucky enough to have one: Damir fled war in Bosnia as a child and grew up in a refugee camp in the Czech Republic, and then the southern United States (Kentucky), while Dorey was raised in a very conservative town in California. “We didn’t know if we would ever get married in our lifetime, so when the time actually came, we looked at each other like, do we want to have a wedding? Or is this just an ‘us’ thing?” says Dorey of the brief consideration to get hitched at city hall.
Located inside the Pamukkale hot springs (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) in Pamukkale, Türkiye, Cleopatra’s Pool a geothermal hot spring with one feature that makes it standout from every other hot spring on earth: It’s located within the ruins of an ancient temple that once might have belonged to Cleopatra.
A lot of people are surprised when I tell them my favorite card is The Platinum Card® from American Express. I love it because it offers incredible statement credits and comes with so many benefits.