As we approach the holiday season, travel scams inevitably increase.
According to Brandon Muller, MEA region technologist at Kaspersky, many people look forward to taking some time off to the beach, the bush or an escape abroad.
“Regardless of your plans during the holiday break, you should always be on the lookout for increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks,” Mueller said.
As part of efforts to help keep travelers safe from cyber attacks, Kaspersky and LIFT shared travel tips so you can have a fun and safe time on vacation.
Be wary of special offers
As a general rule of thumb, if an offer sounds too good to be true, it usually is, Mueller said.
“Taking the necessary precautions to prevent travel spam and phishing will ensure that your travel is booked safely and easily. You should always be vigilant, especially when looking for deals online.” He said.
Experts warned travelers to be aware that messages in your mailbox, chat apps, or social networks could be fraudulent.
“Thanks to the availability of more advanced technologies, criminals have become more adept at impersonating airlines, hotels, travel sites, booking systems, and travel agents.
“The aim is to direct you to a fake website where you are lured into providing sensitive information to book a deal,” he said.
He advises that you should always be careful to verify URLs as well as email addresses.
“When you're looking for accommodation, use specialized services instead of clicking on suspicious links in emails. If you want to ensure maximum protection, use a recognized cybersecurity solution,” Muller said. said
Book with a reputable travel agency or through the official airline's website.
The expert highlighted that fraudsters would try to lure victims with attractive deals and promotional prices by masquerading as reputable travel agencies.
“The same applies to flight tickets. Always exercise due diligence in these situations and book trips only through trusted travel providers or official airlines.
LIFT's Chief Commercial Officer, Cilliers Jordaan, also added that they are getting a lot of bookings through foreign online travel agencies, which market cheap flights, but the T&Cs attached to these tickets are not always clear.
“Refund and cancellation terms are important for passengers to note, as when bookings are made with other providers, LIFT may be unable to assist with direct refunds, as we only process payment. are able to return the original form, in which case the online travel agency.
“We have no control over when a merchant refunds its customers,” he said.
Jordaan added that he strongly advises travelers to use reputable and reputable online travel agencies, or book directly on the airline's website.
Muller also recommends using strong passwords and enabling two-factor authentication for your travel bookings and transport accounts if possible.
“It adds an extra layer of security by requiring multiple forms of authentication, like a unique code sent to your phone, and your personal and financial data, as well as loyalty program bonuses earned,” he said. Can also save.”
Keep your information private
Jordan also said to always take the same precautions when you start a vacation as you do when booking your trip.
This is even more the case when sharing sensitive, financial information. Keep travel information private.
“Never share your reservation numbers with anyone or post photos of airline tickets with visible barcode or Passenger Name Record (PNR) on social networks,” he said.
The expert also recommends waiting until you return from your vacation before posting your photos online.
“Cracks can monitor social feeds and use that information to see when you've been gone for an extended period of time,” he said.
Protect your devices.
Mueller advised travelers to never leave their devices unattended, securing mobile phones, notebooks and tablets with password or biometric authentication.
Install a reliable antivirus with built-in protection against online fraud and phishing before sending credentials or making online payments, he said.
Be careful with public Wi-Fi
Using publicly accessible Wi-Fi at airports, hotels, restaurants and other vacation spots poses risks for data theft.
“When sharing sensitive or financial information, turn on a virtual private network (VPN). This ensures your connection is encrypted when making online payments, for example,” the expert said.
He also said to consider downloading offline travel maps to your smartphone for your destination as it is safer than connecting to a public Wi-Fi hotspot every time.
“Cybercriminals make heavy use of social engineering techniques that make their fake websites, messages and emails quite convincing and effective.
“While it's exciting to start planning upcoming vacations and trips, always pay attention to the details and double-check everything before sharing your personal or financial information,” said Mueller.