Scammers targeting 'stressed' passengers

BTN News
Monday, 17 June 2024

Scammers are pretending to be airlines and using similar language when communicating with people on X, Which? says.


The scam waits for someone with an airline issue to 'ask for help on line' through social media, usually a question related to their travel.

A bogus account that at first glance looks to be legitimate responds with advice and may suggest transferring the 'chat' to WhatsApp.

The scam may not involve money; the scammer may instead want personal details, emails, bank details and passwords.

Monica Whitty, professor of Human Factors in Cyber Security at Melbourne's Monash University said: “When you urgently need to do something, you probably won’t go through all the checks that you normally might do.

“You just want to get the problem solved" and you're grateful someone is there to help.

An Australian Competition and Consumer Affairs (ACCC) spokesperson said it has had reports of “similar activity involving impersonation of Australian airlines on X”.

Scammers targeting 'stressed' passengers

BTN News
Monday, 17 June 2024

Scammers are pretending to be airlines and using similar language when communicating with people on X, Which? says.


The scam waits for someone with an airline issue to 'ask for help on line' through social media, usually a question related to their travel.

A bogus account that at first glance looks to be legitimate responds with advice and may suggest transferring the 'chat' to WhatsApp.

The scam may not involve money; the scammer may instead want personal details, emails, bank details and passwords.

Monica Whitty, professor of Human Factors in Cyber Security at Melbourne's Monash University said: “When you urgently need to do something, you probably won’t go through all the checks that you normally might do.

“You just want to get the problem solved" and you're grateful someone is there to help.

An Australian Competition and Consumer Affairs (ACCC) spokesperson said it has had reports of “similar activity involving impersonation of Australian airlines on X”.