Flyers are warned to be vigilant about offers they see on Facebook. If you see an offer on Facebook that is just too good to be true, don’t touch it with a barge pole.
British Airways will not be giving away free flights for a year in exchange for a like and a photo. Why do scammers do it? Because this is an efficient way to collect information for future more dangerous scams and potentially dodgy links and malware.
A statement from British Airways on their Facebook page said
We’re aware there are some fake competitions being shared on Facebook offering “2 Free Airline tickets from British Airways”. This is not a legitimate competition. Please do not click on any links or share the post with your friends. Please report the post to Facebook. All genuine competitions are posted on this British Airways page.
Flybe has also issued warnings to its customers not to be fooled by a false competition being shared on Facebook. Incredibly the competition which even spells the airline’s name incorrectly is still fooling travellers: ‘Get 2 Free Flybee Airline Tickets on its 20th Birthday’.
The airline has stressed that their offers will only ever be shared on the Flybe Facebook page.
Fraudsters are also using email communication to trick travellers and are using what appears to be a BA email address. Customers are promised the chance to win a £1,000 flight and are urged: “Don’t think twice. This offer is available through today only!”
All you have to do is click on a link to your “dream destination”, but the link then asks for personal details, which the fraudsters can use to steal identities.
City of London Police’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, have issued a report stating there was a rise of 425% in the amount reported lost to travel fraudsters in 2015, up to £11.5 million.
Action Fraud advises the public not to reply to unsolicited emails, texts or calls offering holidays at very low prices:
Remember, don’t click on any links within these emails and texts, or open any attachments, as they may lead to malicious websites or downloads.