Booking.com warns of rising AI-powered scams in tourism

The online travel platform Booking.com reported a major increase in sophisticated AI-based scams within the tourism industry over the last two and a half years.

AI scams targeting travelers increased after the launch of ChatGPT in 2022 facilitating the creation of more convincing phishing emails by the attackers, said Marnie Wilking, the platform's global security director. 

The “highly organized” criminal groups began to focus on the tourism sector due to the post-pandemic travel boom, Wilking said. 

Criminals target hotels, tourist apartments, travel platforms, and service providers, which, once hacked, can give them access to customer data across multiple companies.

The scams are designed to make quick money by cleverly bypassing security. When it succeeds, criminals sell the method to other groups.

It is recommended by cybersecurity experts to businesses and customers on the platform to use two-factor authentication, keep their apps and systems updated, and be cautious of offers that seem “too good to be true.”

The scams began in Spain and Portugal but spread globally.