Criminal targetting would-be holiday makers with sophisticated fraud, AIB says
People looking to book holidays or trips away have been warned about a new type of travel scam known as ghost brokering.which said the scam which sees criminals targeting people searching for online holiday or flight deals by using ads that appear to be legitimate but are not.The websites potential victims are directed to appear sophisticated and convincing and often request phone numbers and email addresses to use their search function.
Fraudsters then use these details to contact the person via a messaging service such as WhatsApp, to entice them into buying cheap flights or holidays. They often receive a booking confirmation from the fake travel company, to create the appearance of legitimacy. “International intelligence shows us that this type of fraud or ‘ghost brokering’ is on the rise and as a result, customers should exercise caution when booking holidays online,” said AIB’s Head of Financial Crime, Carol Lawton said.