There are some things we do every day without giving them a second thought, whether that’s brushing our teeth, checking social media or looking up a phone number online when we need to get hold of a customer service associate. Each task seems fairly innocent (and, in one case, good for your oral hygiene). However, an increasingly common scam adds danger to the everyday practice of reaching out to a company’s customer service team when you need assistance.
In this elaborate scheme, scammers pose as airline customer service agents and target travelers in an attempt to steal their personal and financial information.
The scam came to light via a thread on X in 2023 from a Delta Air Lines passenger named Shmuli Evers. Evers found himself in the unfortunate yet all-too-common situation of having his flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) canceled. After calling a Delta customer service phone number he had found on Google to rebook his flight, Evers began to suspect something was not quite right.
The person on the other end of the line attempted to obtain Evers’ credit card information to book him on a new flight later that evening. By this point, the red flags were piling up, and Evers had the wherewithal to hang up the phone before handing over his payment information to the scammers.
Upon further investigation, Evers found that many major airlines’ Google listings displayed fraudulent numbers.
Here’s what you need to know to keep your information safe from similar scams and the best methods for contacting airlines when you need assistance.
How scammers are deceiving travelers
Unbeknownst to him, the number Evers had Googled was not an actual Delta customer service number. The phone number had been deceitfully submitted to Google as a valid number.
The scammers were able to submit a fake number via a local business listing for Delta customer service at JFK because Google allows members of the public to suggest edits to a company’s contact information. This feature is intended to provide users with relevant and up-to-date information, but some dishonest people try to use it to their advantage.
Related: How can I get back my stolen American Airlines credit?
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Michelle Couch-Friedman, TPG ombudsman and founder of Consumer Rescue, assisted a TPG reader with a similar airline customer service scam that involved a Google listing with a fake Air Canada phone number. The customer had a question before her flight and used Google to find Air Canada’s customer service number. Instead, she reached a scammer posing as an Air Canada employee.
The scammer told the reader she was on a waitlist and needed to pay additional money to guarantee her seat on the flight. The reader handed over her credit card information before realizing she had been scammed. With Couch-Friedman’s help, the reader was able to recover her funds — but not before a lengthy dispute process.
“Many of these scam centers have been able to manipulate the credit card terminals to make the name of the official company appear as the merchant when charging their ‘fees,'” Couch-Friedman told TPG. “This has caused victims of scam call centers to lose credit card disputes because the banks interpret the charge as legitimate.”
When Google finds these fake listings, it removes them as quickly as possible.
“We do not tolerate this misleading activity and are constantly monitoring and evolving our platforms to combat fraud and create a safe environment for users and businesses,” a Google spokesperson told TPG. “Our teams have already begun reverting the inaccuracies, suspending the malicious accounts involved, and applying additional protections to prevent further abuse.”
However, this isn’t the only way in which scammers target stranded travelers.
Related: How a 10-minute phone call reversed $2,300 in fraudulent charges on my credit card
In July 2024, the Federal Trade Commission released a consumer alert warning travelers of scammers posing as airline customer service agents on social media. These scammers will crawl social media looking for upset travelers in search of help.
They will then ask for personal information or send travelers to a spoofed site offering to help them rebook their delayed or canceled flight. But what they are really doing is attempting to steal your information and charge your debit or credit card account.
A similar version of this scam can happen when you are searching online for discounted flights. If you come across a deal that seems too good to be true, it probably is.
How to keep your information safe
Sadly, these situations are not unique. The Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker website has received several reports of airline-related scams, and it published an article in 2024 with tips for spotting and avoiding airline scams.
In Evers’ case, the call he made was disconnected shortly after he reached who he thought was a Delta customer service agent. They called him back from a number with a French country code, which was the first thing that piqued Evers’ intuition. The agent then texted Evers details for his new flight from yet another phone number before asking him to call them with his payment information to confirm the new flight, quoting a price that was “five times the price of the original ticket cost,” according to Evers.
Evers listened to his gut and saved himself from any fraudulent charges. You can stop trouble before it starts by only using official communication channels to contact your airline and remaining vigilant against scammers.
“Awareness that these con artists are all over the internet is the first step to avoiding them,” Couch-Friedman said.
“Travelers should always carefully inspect a website before taking a phone number from it and assuming it is the official website of the company they are trying to reach. Ensure that the URL is a secure ‘https’ (scammers frequently use non-secure ‘http’ websites) and that it has the name of the company in the URL. Scroll to the bottom of the page and see if there are any disclaimers. Quasi-scammers often include a tiny disclaimer at the bottom of the page, revealing their true identity,” she added.
The best way to contact airlines
If you need to book a flight, have questions about your flight or need to make any changes, be sure to contact your airline through known channels. Never give out any personal or financial information if you receive an incoming call, text or direct message on social media from someone claiming to be with an airline. “Travelers should also be aware that scammers can make any number they want to appear on their victim’s caller ID. So don’t be fooled by the number that pops up when the phone rings,” Couch-Friedman advised.
Every major airline has a contact page, help center or similar section on its website.
Many airlines also offer live chat, texting or direct messaging via social media platforms for convenient customer service options if you don’t have time to wait for a phone call.
“I recommend that travelers download the official app of any airline, cruise line, or car rental company they frequently use. These apps often have instant chat features and also the official phone number of the company will be provided in the app,” Couch-Friedman said.
Our full guide on quickly reaching an airline customer service agent outlines the best way to contact each major airline and offers tips for getting to a live person when the automated system just won’t cut it.
Bottom line
We know it can be frustrating to stand in a long line at the customer service counter or wait on a lengthy hold with an airline, but both are better than being swindled out of hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
In the case of this particular scam, there were multiple red flags that gave Evers pause. Listening to those red flags is how he successfully kept his information safe. If something feels suspicious, trust that little voice inside your head and do not give out any of your personal information. Instead, do your due diligence to ensure you’re working directly with your airline when you need assistance.
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