You have been saving for this trip. You have the flights booked, the hotel reserved, and your bags half-packed. The last thing you need is a scammer swooping in to steal your money, your identity, or your hard-earned points.
Unfortunately, that is exactly what criminals are counting on. And they are getting better at it. Advances in artificial intelligence are making these schemes more convincing than ever.
Consumer advocate and travel ombudsman Michelle Couch-Friedman has investigated hundreds of these cases. Here are the six most costly travel scams circulating right now, and what you can do to stay safe.
1. AI Phone Scams That Sound Almost Human
Couch-Friedman received a call that appeared on her caller ID as the American Express Security Department. An AI-generated voice addressed her by her full name and claimed there was an urgent legal matter involving her card.
The voice stumbled over numbers, paused unnaturally, and even had to restart the conversation mid-way through. When she pushed back, the AI voice insisted it was a real human named Ms. Lee, and offered the actual American Express security number as proof.
The ask? Copies of her passport, Social Security card, and credit card were to be used to “clear her name” with the Department of Homeland Security before an arrest warrant was issued. The whole story was invented.
Victims have reported similar calls from AI voices claiming to represent cruise lines and airlines. The goal is always the same: steal your personal information.
How to protect yourself:
- Never trust your caller ID. Scammers can make any number appear on your phone.
- These calls are designed to create panic. Threats about the IRS, police, or your bank account are pressure tactics.
- Listen for unnatural pauses, odd rhythm, and stumbling over words, signs you are talking to an AI.
- Hang up and call the official number on the back of your card.
You can report phishing calls to your card company directly: American Express at spoof@AmericanExpress.com, Chase at phishing@chase.com, Citi at spoof@citi.com, Bank of America at abuse@bofa.com, Wells Fargo at reportphish@wellsfargo.com, Discover at emailwatch@discover.com, Barclays at internetsecurity@barclays.com, and Capital One through their online cyber abuse form.
2. Fake or Bait-and-Switch Vacation Rentals
Vacation rentals on sites like Airbnb and Vrbo can be wonderful. But many travelers do not realize that these platforms do not vet every property listed on their sites. That gap is exactly where scammers set up shop.
Some listings are completely fake. Others are real properties used for bait-and-switch schemes. After you confirm your reservation, the host suddenly claims the property is unavailable (flooding, double-booking, some emergency) and offers a replacement. That replacement often turns out to be far below what you paid for.
Before you book any rental, do these four things:
- Read the reviews. On Airbnb and Vrbo, reviews are tied to confirmed stays, which makes them more reliable. No reviews at all is a yellow flag.
- Look closely at the photos. Blurry or low-quality images can signal a scam. Legitimate hosts want their property to look its best.
- Run a Google reverse image search on the listing photos. Scammers frequently steal images from other listings or real estate sites.
- Never pay outside the platform. Offers of discounts to take the payment to Zelle, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency are major red flags.
If a host tries to switch you to a different property that is not comparable to what you booked, walk away and contact the listing platform immediately.
3. Fake Customer Service Numbers in Google Search Results
Imagine your flight just got canceled. There is a two-hour line at the airline counter, so you pull out your phone and Google the airline’s customer service number. The number you find and call belongs to a scam call center. By the time you realize it, thousands of dollars may be gone.
Scammers are planting fake phone numbers all over the internet, in sponsored search ads, social media comments, and online forums. They target travelers who are stressed, stranded, or desperate for help.
Watch for these warning signs:
- The number you found came from a sponsored ad, a social media post, or a forum comment.
- The agent tells you there is an urgent problem with your reservation and pressures you to act right away.
- You are asked to pay fees through Zelle, wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency.
- The person on the line discourages you from hanging up and calling the company back yourself.
- Someone calls you out of the blue with urgent news about your reservation. Never share personal details on a call you did not initiate.
The safest move is simple: Go directly to the airline, cruise line, or hotel’s official website or app and use the contact information listed there. Do not search for phone numbers.
4. Fake Toll Road Text Messages
Have you gotten a text lately saying you owe money for an unpaid toll? You are in good company. These fake texts (called smishing scams) have exploded across the United States over the past year.
The messages look official. They warn of late fees, suspended vehicle registrations, or even arrest if you do not pay immediately. The toll amount is usually small enough that many people just pay it without thinking twice. The link in the text does not lead to a legitimate payment page but to a fake website designed to steal your credit card and banking information.
These scams work especially well on travelers because many people genuinely do use toll roads on vacation. Getting a text about an unpaid toll after a road trip or rental car journey feels believable.
Red flags to watch for:
- The text creates a sense of urgency and alarm.
- It comes from a strange phone number or lands in your spam folder.
- The linked website looks slightly off or has a misspelled address.
- The threatened punishment seems wildly out of proportion to the amount owed.
Do not click the link. Go directly to the official toll agency website, or contact your rental car company if you were driving a rental. You can report these scams to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
5. Fake QR Codes in Tourist Areas
QR codes became common during the pandemic, when restaurants and hotels started using them for contactless menus and check-ins. Scammers noticed and quickly figured out how to abuse them.
Fraudsters place their own QR codes directly over legitimate ones in airports, parking garages, tourist areas, and restaurants. When you scan the code, it takes you to a fake payment page or a malicious website built to steal your financial information.
The New York City Department of Transportation recently issued a warning about scammers placing fake QR codes on parking meters throughout the city. Tourists who scanned these codes landed on an AI-created website that looked official — but was designed to capture their credit card details.
Some fake QR codes direct users to pages that look exactly like the login screens of real airlines, hotels, or cruise lines.
How to stay safe:
- Avoid scanning any QR code that looks tampered with, covered by a sticker, or placed oddly over another code.
- After scanning, check the web address before entering any payment information. Look carefully, scammers often buy domains that closely mimic real ones.
- Whenever possible, type the web address yourself or use an official app instead of scanning an unfamiliar code.
6. Scammers Posing as Travel Experts in Facebook Groups
Travel Facebook groups can be a genuinely helpful place to swap tips and ask questions. Scammers know that, and they have moved in.
Couch-Friedman has investigated multiple cases in which travelers believed they were receiving help from a legitimate travel agent or airline representative in a Facebook group. They were talking to a scammer.
These fraudsters watch for posts from travelers who are frustrated, seeking refunds, or dealing with a canceled reservation. Within minutes, a comment or private message arrives from someone claiming they can fix the problem. They often push to move the conversation to WhatsApp, Telegram, or private text. Then comes a request for a small payment via Zelle, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency for tickets, refunds, or processing fees. Once that money is sent, it is gone.
Cruise-related groups are particularly popular hunting grounds because travelers often post detailed information about upcoming trips and booking problems. Fake airline customer service agents turn up regularly in comments beneath posts from stranded passengers.
Remember these things before accepting help in any group:
- Anyone can join most Facebook groups and create a profile that looks official.
- A company logo or travel-themed profile photo does not prove someone actually works for that company.
- Scammers push to move conversations to private messages quickly.
- Any request for payment through Zelle, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or wire transfer is a serious red flag.
If you need help with a travel problem, go directly to the airline, cruise line, hotel, or booking platform via its official website or app — not to a stranger in a group offering help.
The scammers are working hard this summer. But now you know what they are up to. A little extra caution before you click, scan, or share goes a long way toward keeping your vacation (and your money) safe.
