Picture this: Your flight is cancelled, so you give the company’s customer service line a call to schedule a new flight so you and your family can embark on the vacation you had planned. Next thing you know, despite calling the correct customer service phone number, you’ve been scammed out of $17,000. It sounds like a nightmare, but it happened to Denver’s Dan Smoker.
Smoker had full confidence in his interactions with United when he called the customer service phone number listed on their website. At first, he was speaking with a legitimate United agent, but he needed assistance with rebooking a Lufthansa flight to Germany. Lufthansa and United are partnering airlines, so the task should have been business as usual, but it was anything but! When the United agent transferred Dan’s phone call, they actually connected him to a scammer posing as a representative from Lufthansa. Dan was initially informed that he was unable to rebook his flight, and he was told if he made a new booking, he’d be refunded for his previous one. Dan went forward with the new booking, comfortable with the fact that he’d receive his refund at a later date.
When Dan received a link from the agent, allegedly named David, to proceed with payment, the ordeal ended up costing him more $17,000. David told Dan he’d receive his refund the next billing cycle, and Dan put his trust in the “representative.” However, when time passed and the refund still hadn’t processed, he called David on a number he had provided. David said he needed to look into the matter. When David never returned the call, Dan pinged him again—only to learn that his number had been blocked. Soon enough, Dan realized he had been the victim of a scam.
Flight booking scams are on the rise—and Dan isn’t alone
When Dan Smoker reached out to the airline to inform them of what had happened, he was told that he must have called the wrong number. With proof that he made no mistake in dialing the correct customer service line, he submitted the paperwork stating his case. When the airline realized something was amiss, an investigation began, proving the discrepancies. While the phone call on Dan’s end lasted approximately 3 hours, the call on United’s end lasted about 12 minutes. Soon the airline realized that instead of the United agent transferring Dan’s call to Lufthansa using the company’s internal system, the representative had simply searched the Lufthansa phone number and presumably used the first one they saw without proper verification.
Dan’s situation is a rare one, and though he has yet to be refunded for a mistake made by United, the airline told ABC News they are working with his credit card provider to make things right. Many others, unfortunately, aren’t so lucky. Airline scams come in a variety of different formats. For example, fake websites advertising unbeatable prices often pull customers in, stealing their personal and financial information. Scammers also advertise fake phone numbers, passing them off as real airline customer service lines. Many people have also received false messages claiming a flight has been cancelled or changed with a fake phone number listed.
When it comes to airlines and flights, it’s important to look closely at messages you’re receiving, websites you visit or phone numbers you call. When trying to book a flight or get in touch with an airline, make sure you’re getting your information directly from the airline’s legitimate website. Though Dan Smoker did just that and he was met with a scammer, taking all the proper protocols is your best bet.
