AI-generated destinations, calls from fake hotel staff and hacked luggage trackers… travel scams are getting more sophisticated. “A concerning shift we’re seeing at the moment is scammers leveraging real context, not just generic phishing,” says Professor Dali Kaafar, executive director of Macquarie University’s Cyber Security Hub and founder of cyber-intelligence firm Apate.ai. “Messages now read naturally, match the tone of the brand they’re impersonating and can be generated at scale.” Here are some ways to avoid common travel scams right now.
You arrive and your booking doesn’t exist
Imagine arriving for your sunset hot air balloon tour, only to find the experience isn’t even a real thing. This common travel scam is easy to fall for, as scammers often use AI-generated images and copied listings to fool travellers. Fortunately, there are a few red flags. “The obvious one is pricing that doesn’t quite make sense. Pay attention to deals that are significantly cheaper than everything else,” says Kaafar. “We also often see urgency being introduced: think, ‘This offer expires in 10 minutes’ or, ‘We’ve had a cancellation, you need to secure it now’ type of pressure.”
You’re asked to pay again
In this case, you might book through a legitimate platform then receive a message out of the blue. You’re told your booking must be reconfirmed or you’re prompted to pay a fee through an unknown payment system. These scams often reference actual bookings, making it harder to spot anything unusual. In some cases, messages are generated or tailored using AI, letting scammers convincingly mimic legitimate brands.
“Treat any inbound request as untrusted until proven otherwise, even when messages look legitimate,” says Kaafar. “We’ve seen very convincing impersonations. The simplest check is to go back to the official app or website and verify from there, rather than engaging directly with the message.”
You’re targeted after you’ve arrived
Even once everything is booked and you’re mid-trip, scammers can still target you. This could be through fake airport wi-fi networks designed to capture your details, compromised luggage tracking apps and devices or a dodgy QR code in a public place that redirects to a malicious website.
“Travellers are often more reliant on their phones and less likely to question things in unfamiliar environments, which increases exposure,” says Kaafar. Avoiding unknown QR codes or unsecured wi-fi networks can help reduce your exposure while travelling.