In many areas of Spain, this Easter A full house is expected despite the fact that the price has increased almost 10% compared to last year. In fact, the Spanish Confederation of Travel Agencies (CEAV) expect a growth of up to 6% in reservations compared to 2023. However, behind these figures hide hundreds, even thousands of people who, trusting unreliable websites that promise luxurious vacations at negligible prices, become victims of vacation scams. How to avoid falling into them?
Cybercriminals take advantage of periods of high travel demand to carry out attacks, offering precisely what attracts the most: dream trips at discounted prices.We have spoken with Luis Corrons, cybersecurity expert at Avast, to identify the most frequent strategies of scammers and not fall into their hands.
In general, itCybercriminals use strategies such as publish offers false or too good to be true. Either because it is a very exclusive destination or because of the low price. They can also create fake web pages and, once we make the payment, they disappearso much money as offer. In this case it is important to make sure that the web address is correct, a small change (a missing letter or a .cor instead of .com) can change everything. As if this were not enough, they will not only keep our money, they also have our data.
Another strategy is send Fake emails that appear to be from travel agencies legitimate companies, airlines or booking platforms. These emails often contain malicious links or requests for personal and financial information, such as credit card numbers or passwords. By clicking on links or providing requested information, individuals may become victims of identity theft or financial fraud.
Sites that do not exist or are not rented, such as vacation complexes or properties, are also advertised. And when we arrive at our destination, we have a problem. To avoid this “toBefore making any reservation or payment online, investigate the reputation and trustworthiness of the company or website you are dealing with – explains Corrons –. Check if the company is registered and if it has positive opinions from other users on trusted platforms. Avoid doing business with companies or sites
little known website or have a dubious reputation”.
Corrons also points out that we should never provide sensitive personal or financial information, such as credit card numbers, passwords or identification data, through unsolicited emails, unknown links or unverified websites. “Be wary of emails that ask for personal or financial information – explains this expert –and avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown or untrustworthy sources. Use secure payment methods and regularly check your bank accounts and credit cards for any suspicious activity”.
Given any suspicion of having been victim of a scam, The first thing is to check if there has been any movement in the bank account and “blocksr any possibility of making movements – Corrons concludes –. In these cases, the most valid advice is that of logic itself And if something is too good to be true, a vacation or flight deal in this case, it probably isn't.”.