The 2024 Olympics may have wrapped up in Paris, but the summer travel season is far from over. In an international travel survey from American Express, 75% of respondents planned to take a trip around their favorite sporting event before summer’s end, though domestic destinations like New York City, Miami, and Las Vegas beat out the international competition. 65% of respondents also called out saving up for an “immersive,” “remote,” or otherwise “major trip.”
If you’re one of this group, then you’ve likely experienced your fair share of email and social advertising based on your recent travel planning-related searches. Unfortunately, this could also put you at risk of cybercriminal activity targeting would-be tourists.
Emails appear to be from popular travel organizations claiming that you need to resolve an urgent issue with your travel itinerary. Others offer the chance to win a prize or travel package. However, the links featured in one of these emails take you to a fake website where you will be instructed to enter personal information or user credentials. The information you enter is immediately compromised.
Always double-check before clicking a link or downloading a file sent to you by email, including emails that appear to be from legitimate airlines, hotels, rental agencies, or other travel-related services. We recommend following these tips to help avoid falling victim to scams such as these:
- Be skeptical of email offers that sound “too good to be true.”
- Unsolicited emails instructing you to take urgent action should be treated very cautiously. Cybercriminals often try to create a sense of urgency to trick you into falling for their scams.
- Legitimate travel organizations will not ask you to provide sensitive or personal information through email. Always make sure that you are using the organization’s official webpage before entering any information or user credentials.
Afraid you may have shared your SouthEast Bank financial information with the wrong person? Please contact 1-844-SEBANKS (732-2657) or visit your local branch. The sooner you let us know, the sooner we can help protect you and other customers from potential scams!
