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Scam - airline change - be careful

Got an email from British Airways that the flight I was taking was changed to have a 20 min connection and the standard, call or accept. I called the number on the email after confirming that the email was in fact from BA by checking the "to" line. Was on hold for a min, then it seemed like the music changed and then someone picked up. I got a weird feeling during the conversation as they just did not seem that helpful and wanted to to have me pay them, so I hung up. Went online and looked up the phone number on the BA site and called from there and got someone else who was very professional. Thankfully I did not fall for "whatever" that other line was. Not sure if AI is helping scammers find flights that are changed and then setting up fake emails or what.

Just a warning to be sure you are on with the airline...I was, and then I think I wasn't. And yes, as BA records calls, and I mentioned it, they are aware of the issue that I hade.

Edit to add it was an actual change, but the phone number was perhaps "intercepted", or rerouted.

Posted by
7054 posts

Thanks. This has been happening, and reported here, I can't remember who, but it is scary and disconcerting. It has also happened to bookings thru booking.com.
The lesson is to always check the phone number. I have a British Airways credit card, so I will only use the number on that card.
I'm glad that you were so aware and listened to your "spidy sense." Happy Travels !

Posted by
494 posts

I usually fly Delta and have their phone number saved. Anytime I get an email from anything related to reservation or purchase, I try to logon first to my account and go from there.
Scammers are getting so clever and tricking customers with real looking emails.

Glad to hear you didn’t fall for it!

Posted by
9753 posts

I just booked a series of hotels for Ireland thru Booking. One of them sent me a direct email the next day - not the typical one routed thru Booking with details pretty much stating to correspond & do transactions outside of Booking. I went back into Booking & immediately cancelled that reservation.

Yes, be extra diligent.

Posted by
110 posts

We have always relied on the airline apps for up-to-date information. More and more things are falling into the category of "don't respond to e-mails"--credit cards, taxes, etc.

Posted by
746 posts

It's been said here before, but when you receive an email with a link, always hover the cursor over the link, and look closely to read the URL that the link is really giving you. And look very closely at the spelling. "INicrosoft" can look like "Microsoft" in certain fonts, for example.

For the real geeks here, you can select "View Source", or some such, and see all the verbiage in the email. If you see China or Nigeria, or suspicious addresses in there, that's a bad sign.

Posted by
1162 posts

Text messages, emails etc., we go to the airline or hotel's app or website to confirm. We block a lot of emails and text messages these days. With AI etc. these days being distrustful is necessary.

Posted by
3258 posts

If you are booking via, booking.com PLEASE PLEASE be careful. I actually would recommend you go into that LEAKY website and remove your credit card information etc. I am sorry but as someone who works in cyber security and reads travel message boards for entertainment.. that sight is WIDE open as far as I can tell. (No, really every hotel that uses them does not get compromised LOL it's them!)

And yes when you get the "whats app" text or other text to "send an extra deposit" RUN!

I have never used them and what I see online tells me "stay far away" . I admit I use them for research but actually giving them money.. NO!