Australian travelers lost $337,000 last year after falling victim to AI scams that have become increasingly common.
Travel giant Booking.com has warned that there has been a dramatic increase in travel scams ripping off both travelers and suppliers.
Chief Information Security Officer Marnie Wilking told the bbc In the last 18 months there had been “between 500 and 900 percent increase.”
Wilking said that since the emergence of artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, there has been a marked increase in phishing scams, where people are tricked into providing their financial details.
“Of course, we’ve had phishing since the dawn of email, but the uptick started shortly after the launch of ChatGPT,” he said.
“Attackers are definitely using AI to launch attacks that mimic emails much better than anything they’ve done to date.”
Wilking said AI was making scams harder to detect, as the technology can create more accurate text in multiple languages and more realistic images.
Ask travelers 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 “a 500-900% increase” in travel scams over the past 18 months (file image)
This may include entering a code sent to a mobile phone.
Ms Wilking said this is “the best way to combat phishing and credential theft”.
He also implored people to be more alert before clicking on links.
Wilking said that while scammers use AI, the technology is also helping Booking.com quickly select fake hotels that are being created to scam travelers.
“We’ve set up AI models to detect them and block them from getting there to start or remove them before there’s any booking,” he said.
In 2023, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) saw a significant increase in reported scams mentioning Booking.com, which is one of the most visited travel booking sites.
This resulted in Australians being robbed of more than $337,000.
Scammers accessed the Booking.com accounts of some accommodation providers and sent messages to guests posing as representatives of the properties they had booked at.
He Reserva.com The website offers advice on how to stay safe online.
In addition to turning on two-factor authentication, he recommends other ways to stay secure.
“You can keep your accounts and identity protected by looking for emails that contain links and/or attachments, emails that ask you to log in, or emails that ask you to enter personal or financial information,” the website stated.
‘Scammers may also try to access your personal or financial information 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 should not be asked to provide your Booking.com account password or other sensitive financial information, such as your credit card number.’