Booking.com warns of surge in travel scams

Booking.com has reported a sharp increase in online travel booking scams, attributed to the advancements in artificial intelligence. According to BBC News, the platform has observed a significant rise in internet scams, leading to financial losses for many individuals.

Marnie Wilking, Booking.com’s online safety executive, revealed that scams have surged by 500 to 900 per cent over the past 18 months. She explained that travelers are being tricked into providing their financial information through AI tools such as ChatGPT. "We've had phishing since the dawn of email, but the uptick started shortly after ChatGPT was launched," Wilking noted. "Attackers are now using AI to craft emails that are far more convincing than anything we've seen before."

Speaking at the Collision technology conference in Toronto, Wilking discussed how AI enables scammers to create realistic-looking commercials with features like multilingual spell checks and authentic imagery, making it increasingly difficult to detect fraudulent activities.

To combat these cybersecurity threats, Wilking urged hotels and tourists to implement two-factor authentication, which involves receiving a code on one's phone. She emphasized that this method is currently the best way to enhance online security.