It is impossible to know the full extent of all artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. As the pros and cons are weighed, some are using AI to their advantage and taking passengers — and their money — for a ride, just not the one they signed up for.
Booking.com has revealed a staggering 900% increase in travel fraud over the past 18 months, with artificial intelligence playing a key role, as reported by the BBC. According to research by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), victims of travel fraud in the US lost a total of $265,000 since 2023, with nearly one in four travelers (24%) losing $1,000 or more to a single scam, according to a McAfee report – and – all with the help of AI technology.
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“A [false sense] urgent, no matter how well explained [using Generative AI] is the go-to label for all types of scams, including travel and holiday bookings. Today almost anything can be faked with AI so if it is ‘too’ well written, ‘too’ good to be true in the offer or ‘too beautiful’ in the pictures, then I would be extra careful,” said Christoph Cemper, founder of AIPRM.
As you start booking your plans back home, here are four AI travel scams to watch out for this holiday season.
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Fake websites for hotels and airlines
Creating a website used to have a human component behind it. Now, with advances in artificial intelligence, scammers can easily imitate convincing websites that mimic legitimate travel booking platforms. These sites can lure unsuspecting travelers with impossible airfares and incredible hotel discounts because — they don’t exist.
“Fake travel booking websites and counterfeit tickets can appear in search results, made to look convincing using AI imagery,” said Lynette Owens, vice president of Global Education and Consumer Marketing at Trend Micro. “Stick to established travel booking sites and official airline websites. Before purchasing, please confirm the presence of ‘https’ in the URL, as this indicates a secure connection.”
However, most people find themselves even more tempted by “limited sale” or “only 1 more” call-to-action ads to click on these scams without a second thought. It’s best to look for spelling errors, punctuation, and other signs that things might not be out of bounds on these pages.
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Fake offers offered by chatbots
Customer service through a legitimate company can be run using an AI chatbot, however, be wary of those offering significant discounts on flights, hotels or package deals. These are the most likely scams to avoid.
Some red flags to look out for are when AI chatbots ask for personal information or entice you to pre-pay for a travel package that is completely imaginary. Be sure to check any deals or offers you find online through official travel websites. And above all, Owens said, “If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
Phishing texts and emails
One in five people click on AI-generated phishing emails, according to a survey by So Safe, and 65% have been tricked into revealing personal information via input fields on websites linked in those emails. Now with AI at their disposal, fraudsters have become better at making phishing emails and text messages appear to come from real companies, including those in the travel sector.
“Treat spam emails with caution, even if they appear to be from reputable sources, and avoid clicking on links,” Owens said. “Instead, visit the provider’s website or app directly to verify the information.”
Artificial intelligence generated holiday reviews
According to a report published by Tripadvisor, the company was able to flag a record two million reviews as fake on its platform in 2023, which only added to the growing trend of fake airline reviews generated by artificial intelligence. Using an AI tool like ChatGPT, scammers are able to garner compliments and raves in seconds. Although these may seem real at first reading, they are all computer generated scams.
To protect yourself, be sure to check reviews from multiple sources. Never rely solely on reviews from travel booking websites and watch out for samples.
“Look for consistent reviews from multiple users, analyze the host’s profile, and be wary of offers that seem unusually low,” explained Owens. “Fraudsters often replicate legitimate listings with minor changes to URLs or contact information, making it necessary to double-check every detail.”
So if a travel-based website has a bizarrely large number of glowing reviews posted in a short period of time, chances are it’s an AI-assisted scam.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 4 AI Travel Scams to Watch Out For This Holiday Season
