5 travel scams that can fool even careful travelers, according to fraud and security experts

Travel scams are nothing new, but what's changed is just how convincing they can look. Thanks to AI , it's easier for scammers to produce polished websites and messages that can be surprisingly difficult to distinguish from legitimate ones.

"Artificial intelligence hasn't just made scams more believable. It's made trust itself easier to counterfeit," says Michael Scheumack, chief innovation officer at IdentityIQ . "The biggest mistake is assuming that because a message looks professional or arrives at the right moment, it's legitimate."

A 2026 McAfee survey found that 38% of travelers have encountered a travel-related scam. Financial pressure may be one reason some travelers take risks: 33% of respondents admitted they'd ignored scam warning signs to avoid missing out on a deal. Of those who encountered a scam, 41% lost money.

According to Nikhita Hyett, general manager at the fraud-prevention platform Signifyd , scammers often rely on a false sense of urgency to override your better judgment. "Whether it's a message claiming there's an issue with a booking, a limited-time travel offer or someone requesting immediate payment to secure accommodation, criminals deliberately create pressure to encourage quick decisions, knowing that people are less likely to stop and verify what they're seeing when they believe time is running out," she explains.

Knowing what to look for can help you identify the red flags. Here are some of the most common travel scams to watch out for.

1. Fake airline and hotel customer service

When your flight is canceled or delayed , your first step might be to Google the airline's customer service number to get rebooked. Unfortunately, the top search results aren't always the most legitimate. A sponsored or especially convincing listing could actually direct you to a scammer posing as an airline representative. 

"What makes this one scary is that the traveler made the call themselves, so they're not on guard the way they would be if a scammer contacted them first," says Shlomi Beer, cofounder and CEO of ImpersonAlly .

According to Beer, a scammer can buy prominent ad placements using what appears to be an airline's official customer service number. In actuality, that number routes you to a fraudulent call center. 

There's also a related phishing version of this, in which a scammer sends you an email claiming there's an urgent problem with your hotel or airline reservation that requires payment. This sense of urgency often leads travelers to share personal information or payment details before verifying who they're dealing with, says Darius Kingsley , head of consumer fraud and scam prevention at JPMorgan Chase . 

The takeaway? Never automatically trust a search result for an airline or hotel — even if it's one of the top listings — and don't use the phone number or link supplied in an unexpected message. Always independently verify a company's contact information by going directly to the official website.

2. Fake booking sites and cloned vacation rentals

Picture this: You've booked your dream getaway at a luxury beach resort, but after flying halfway across the world and arriving with your luggage, you find out there's no record of your reservation or payment. In other words, you just lost the money you spent on a vacation you never got to take.

"The best scams don't interrupt your vacation plans — they become part of them," says Scheumack.

Here's how this one works. "A scammer copies a real property listing, photos and reposts it with different contact details, so everything looks accurate except who you're actually paying," explains Brian Cute, interim CEO of The Global Cyber Alliance .

According to Cute, this scam is becoming increasingly difficult to spot because AI tools are enabling scammers to avoid the spelling and grammar mistakes that once made their websites and interactions look suspicious.

"Travelers should also be cautious of unsolicited travel promotions received through email, text messages, phone calls or social media," Kingsley adds. "Requests for payment through wire transfers, gift cards or peer-to-peer payment apps are another red flag. Scammers often prefer these methods because they're difficult to trace and nearly impossible to recover."

Be wary if a host or operator asks you to move your conversation or payment outside the booking platform, says Hyett. 

As a general rule, security experts agree that if a deal seems a little too good to be true, it often is. That's why it's a good idea to compare prices on the listing with those on other platforms, book only through trusted providers and independently verify a questionable listing by contacting the property through its official website.

3. QR code phishing

QR codes can also be used in phishing scams, and there's even a term for this approach: "quishing." Scammers may place their own QR-code stickers over legitimate codes — a tactic that has been reported at parking meters. When you scan the codes on those stickers, you may land on fraudulent sites designed to steal personal or financial information.

"Once travelers are away from familiar surroundings, they're more likely to make quick decisions without verifying legitimacy," says Scheumack. According to Scheumack and Cute, QR codes should never be scanned automatically.

First, look at the physical code closely to make sure it's not a sticker covering another code. Next, check the destination link preview before opening it. If you're unsure whether the URL is legitimate, visit the company's website directly rather than following the QR code.

4. Airline and hotel loyalty account takeovers

Some scammers try to hack into your loyalty program account , and they're not only after those hard-earned points. Account takeover is a growing fraud problem, and Signifyd says account-takeover-related fraud across its network has grown by almost 50% year over year.

"Account takeover is probably the most underestimated threat because many people don't think of their airline or hotel loyalty account as something with real financial value," she explains. "For fraudsters, a compromised loyalty account is not just a pot of points. It's a trusted identity layer that can be used to access bookings, personal data, saved payment details and future travel activity."

Criminals can pull this off using stolen login credentials, which is why security experts strongly recommend using unique passwords and multi-factor authentication for your email, banking and travel loyalty accounts.

5. Taxi, tour operator and hotel staff impersonators

Travel scams don't just happen before your trip. They can also happen during your trip. According to Scheumack, scammers often target tourists with fake transportation services and tours, or by posing as hotel staff.

"Vacation mode is exactly what scammers count on," he adds. "They know people become more relaxed, distracted and willing to trust unfamiliar technology."

For this reason, Scheumack says it's important to take a moment to confirm who you're dealing with before handing over any money. For example, you might check your original confirmation email for a driver's name, phone number or vehicle information.

When it comes to payment methods while traveling, Scheumack recommends using credit cards whenever possible. "Credit cards generally provide stronger fraud protections than debit cards because fraudulent charges don't immediately drain money from your bank account," he explains. "Mobile wallets such as Apple Pay or Google Pay add another layer of security by tokenizing payment information instead of transmitting your actual card number."

Cute also advises against making payments via wire transfer or cryptocurrency, as these transactions are typically much harder to reverse.