Travel warning news: UK holidaymakers warned of common travel scams to be aware of including fake flight prices as 'anything can be faked with AI'

UK holidaymakers have been warned to be vigilant when booking summer holidays after recent reports revealed that there were 6,640 cases of holiday booking-related fraud last year. National scams and cyber crime reporting service Action Fraud, which is run by City of London Police, said £12.3 million was stolen by fraudsters last year with the average victim losing £1,851 as a result of “increasingly sophisticated” criminal tactics.

With this in mind, experts at AI prompt management tool AIPRM have compiled their top AI scams to be mindful of this year, as well as tips on the warning signs to look out for, and how to avoid them. Christoph C. Cemper, founder of AIPRM, said: “Nowadays, anything can be faked with AI so if it is; ‘too’ well written, ‘too’ good to be true in the offer, or ‘too nice’ in pictures, then I would be especially careful.

“The most common form of AI scam is a phishing ‘offer’, that lures the user into providing their personal or payment details too soon/too early based on vague and ‘too good to be true’ promises. If you think you have fallen victim to a scam, as painful as it is, any kind of revealed information needs to be rendered useless.”

Common AI travel scams to be aware of

AI Generated Websites

A key danger to be aware of whilst holiday searching are AI generated websites. These can be created by scammers, who utilise AI to create fake websites that can lure customers into providing their bank details to secure their chosen location for their getaway. 

The links to these websites may also be sent to consumers via email or social media, and may offer discounted prices to attract them. Therefore, it is always recommended to use well-known, established websites, such as www.expedia.com, with adequate protection and company credentials.

Fake AI listings and reviews

When using reputable websites, scammers can still advertise fake listings for holidays and hotels. A key feature to be aware of is that these will often redirect you to pay for your stay outside of the official website page. It is therefore advised to stay away from any advertised accommodation which prompts you to pay outside of the official site, or asks for a bank transfer. 

If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a listing, always check the number and quality of reviews, as scammers could also use AI to write fake reviews to their fake listings.

Scammers can also use AI to advertise fake flight prices, or use third party websites to offer cheaper prices. Once you purchase from these sites, you may never receive the ticket. Make sure to use well-known companies you have heard of, as well as looking out for logos of authenticity. 

AI Phishing attempts and unsolicited social media deals

Links to fake AI generated websites, or scam links in general, may also be sent to consumers via email or social media, and may offer discounted prices to attract consumers. If you receive any emails of this kind, be sure to think twice before clicking the link, as phishing attempts such as this could also result in financial fraud and theft. Some links may even be disguised as appearing to come from a renowned company name.

AI Generated Imagery / Deep Fakes

AI can be used to generate fake images, known as deep fakes, which may be used as part of a false advertisement for an activity or day trip. Not only could this leave you paying for a falsely advertised event, but the event may not even exist. 

If you are suspicious and want to examine an image for signs of AI, zoom in to closely analyse it. Signs such as stray pixels, misplaced shapes, or odd outlines can be big indicators of AI images, and will be easier to see this way.