Beware of travel, airline scams

This is the time of year when many Americans book flights home to see family for the holidays. Before booking, one should be aware of the potential scams which involve travel. It is much easier being swindled out of personal and credit card information today than it has been in years past. Instead of going to ticket counters or calling up airlines, many people buy their tickets online out of convenience. This gets dangerous when those on the other end of the server are "phishing." Unlike the fishing that we know, phishing with a "ph", involves individuals sending emails pretending to be reputable companies, in this case airlines. They do so to get the person on the other end of the email to give up personal information which they can use in the furtherance of their criminal activities.
A major United States airline has been experiencing an ongoing scam in which criminals who claim that they work for the airline send out emails saying that the customer's credit cards have been charged for airline tickets. Because the email looks as though it is from an airline, the customer opens it. In those emails there are often attachments, and when the customer opens the attachment a virus enters their computer and takes their personal information. The airline recommends that when one realizes that this has occurred, to change the passwords on the account right away to protect their identity.
While booking online, we are often told we can get the best deals through third-party sites rather than booking directly on the airline website. However, when booking through another site, one runs a much higher risk of getting their information stolen. The best way to avoid travel scams is to book directly through the airline, hotel, or car rental website that they will be using. The reputable companies should have "https://" at the beginning of their url. If you decide to use a third-party site, be sure to use one that is reputable by reading the reviews as well as checking with the Better Business Bureau ( https://www.bbb.org/en/us ).
Call the company right after booking to confirm the reservation. If you suspect a fraud has occurred, immediately notify your local law enforcement agency. The sooner the fraud has been reported, the better.
Sources: https://www.delta.com/us/en/advisories/other-alerts/phishing-email-alert
https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-online-scams-5-tips-to-protect-yourself-from-online-travel-booking-scams.html
The information is provided courtesy of the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office.