CHICO — As the holidays roll closer and closer, many prepare for traveling to see family and friends.
If that’s you, then let’s make sure your ticket will actually get you where you want to go.
This week’s scam information comes from Interpol. That’s right, the International Criminal Police Organization itself. As the organization directly deals with international issues, it warns of airline ticket fraud, which tends to see upticks around this time of the year.
According to the warning, these scammers purchase tickets, typically using stolen credit card information, and then try to sell the tickets at lower prices to entice those looking for last-minute travel deals.
As is often the case with scammers, the individual pretending to be a travel agent wants the payment quickly and in advance, ideally using a bank transfer. Once the money is in hand, if you’re lucky, you get the ticket with all original purchase details scrubbed.
Interpol warns that even if you do manage to get the tickets, there are plenty of variables that can come back to bite you.
“When you buy an airline ticket in this manner, you put your money directly into the hands of criminals — who use it to fund other serious crimes,” the warning reads. “If the owner of the stolen credit card which was used by the criminal to make the initial purchase reports it before the scheduled flight, the ticket will be canceled by the airline and you will be unable to travel. If the credit card owner…
