Aussie travellers lost $337,000 last year after falling victim to artificial intelligence scams that have become increasingly more common.
Travel giant Booking.com has warned there has a been a dramatic surge in travel scams swindling both travellers and providers.
Chief information security officer Marnie Wilking told the BBC there had been ‘anywhere from a 500 to a 900 per cent increase’ in the past 18 months.
Ms Wilking said since the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, there has been a marked rise in phishing scams, in which people are duped into providing their financial details.
‘Of course, we’ve had phishing since the dawn of email, but the uptick started shortly after ChatGPT got launched,’ she said.
‘The attackers are definitely using AI to launch attacks that mimic emails far better than anything that they’ve done to date.’
Ms Wilking said AI was making the scams more difficult to detect as the technology can create more accurate text in multiple languages and more realistic images.
She is calling for travellers and hotels to implement two-factor authentication, which provides an additional level of security.
Booking.com’s Chief Information Security Officer said there had been ‘anywhere from a 500 to a 900% increase’ in travel scams in the past 18 months (stock image)
This can include keying in a code sent to a mobile phone.
Ms Wilking said this is ‘the best way to combat phishing and credential stealing’.
She also implored people to more vigilant before clicking on links.
Ms Wilking said although AI is being used by scammers, the technology is also assisting Booking.com to quickly cull fake hotels that are being created to scam travellers.
‘We’ve set up AI models to detect those and either block them from getting on there to begin or take it down before there’s any booking,’ she said.
In 2023, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) saw a major jump in reported scams mentioning Booking.com, which is one of the most visited travel booking sites.
This resulted in Aussies being fleeced out of more than $337,000.
Scam artists accessed Booking.com accounts of some accommodation providers, sending messages to guests posing as representatives of properties guests had booked with.
The Booking.com website provides advice on how to stay safe online.
As well as activating two-factor authentication, it recommends other ways to maintain security.
‘You can keep your accounts and identity protected by looking out for emails that contain links and/or attachments, emails that ask you to sign in, or emails that ask you to enter personal or financial info,’ the website stated.
‘Scammers might also try to access your personal or financial info by calling you, which is a technique called social engineering.
‘Our Customer Service representatives will only ask you to share your reservation ID and/or reservation PIN. You shouldn’t be asked to provide the password for your Booking.com account or other sensitive financial info, such as your credit card number.’
By Daily Mail Online, November 20, 2024
