Brits are being warned about travel scams which use AI and are on the rise in the UK.

The warning from Booking.com says there has been a massive 900% increase in travel scams over the past 18 months.

Victims of holiday scams are losing £765 on average – up 4% from the previous year – as AI-wielding fraudsters deceive travellers with more sophisticated tactics.

With searches for “last minute holiday deals” surging by a whopping 250% over the past months as we approach Christmas, the experts at AIPRM have shared how to look out for these scams.

On the hunt for a cheap holiday, Brits are often scammed by too good to be true deals on flights and accommodation.

Often, the deals will use phrases such as “limited-time sale” which creates a sense of urgency for consumers.

Once details are input, scammers steal your information and leave you with a ticket to nowhere.

To avoid these scams, make sure to be vigilant when booking travel online. You should always look for faults in the website which might give it away as a scam such as spelling errors.

Another telltale sign is AI chatbots which can offer fake travel deals, for example discounts on holiday packages.

If something feels too rushed, it should be a warning sign that something isn’t quite right.

Make sure to confirm through official providers before making any payments.

There has also been a rise in phishing emails and text messages, with one in five people clicking AI-generated phishing emails. A shocking 65% of people were tricked into revealing personal information through input fields on websites linked in the emails.

One example is that an email is sent out telling people their flight is cancelled and that to avoid losing money, you must click the link and enter your payment details immediately. 

This pressure leads to people inputting their details which land in the hands of fraudsters.

Christoph C. Cemper, founder of AIPRM said: “I believe that a (false sense) of urgency, no matter how well explained (using Generative AI) is the top red flag for any kind of scams, including those for booking trips and holidays. 

“Nowadays, nearly anything can be faked with AI so if it is ‘too’ well written, ‘too’ good to be true in the offer, or ‘too nice’ in pictures, then I would be especially careful.

“The most common form of AI scam is a phishing ‘offer’, that lures the user into providing their personal or payment details too soon/too early based on vague promises that seem too good to resist. 

“Such impulse actions are used to harvest the data as quickly as possible, without much to do once the data is revealed. 

“I know of cases where the legal and police system were busy for months due to an identity theft incident where the victim barely remembers engaging with.

“If you think you have fallen victim to a scam, as painful as it is, any kind of revealed information needs to be rendered useless. 

“You can hardly move to another place, so fake ecommerce orders can still happen, but locking down your credit card is the first and most simple thing to do. Contacting your bank as soon as possible is essential.”