Security News > 2022 > June > Summer holiday season fuels upswing of travel-themed spam

Phishers, scammers and malware peddlers are ready to take advantage of the summer holiday season: According to Bitdefender security analysts, the deluge of travel-themed spam has started in March and is expected to reach its peak in June.

Security analyst Alina Bizga told Help Net Security that they haven't seen any really sophisticated travel-themed scams, phishing or attempts at impersonating popular booking platforms as they have seen in the past, but that the summer holiday season is just starting.

Current phishing emails run the gamut from airline ticket giveaways, gift cards and offers of bonus flight hours to booking confirmations and bargain offers for holiday rentals and all-inclusive deals.

The travel-themed phishing lures include keywords related to summer vacation and reference or impersonate well-known airline companies such as Delta, American Airlines, and United Airlines and organizations in the hospitality and tourism industry such as Accor Hotels, Panorama Tours, Meritus Hotels, and others.

Targets are urged to fill out surveys and enter their personal information into phishing sites, or to download invoices and messages that are actually malware.

"Consumers who purchase travel deals via spam emails usually don't get their money's worth," Bizga noted.

News URL

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/06/09/travel-themed-spam/