McAfee Labs Identifies the Top 10 ‘Riskiest’
Global Destinations Used by Cybercriminals to Scam Vacationers When
Booking Online
- Nearly 25% of victims lost $1,000 or more on a single
travel scam.
- More than 1 of 3 Americans say the rise of AI and
deepfakes has decreased their level of trust in planning and
booking vacations.
- Berlin, Cyprus, London and Paris lead list of global
destinations most often exploited by scammers to lead travelers to
malware or risky sites.
McAfee Corp., a global leader in online protection, today
unveiled its ‘Safer Summer Travel Report,’ along with the Top 10
‘Riskiest’ Destinations scammers exploit to lead travelers to
malware or risky online sites where they could be scammed. The
report unpacks insights on emerging trends and scam risks in summer
travel, and highlights Americans’ growing concerns over
increasingly believable, AI-generated online scams, including
deepfakes. The global study surveyed 6,000 adults in the United
States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, and
Japan.
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Travelers are planning adventures and staying aware.
According to the report, a vast majority (85%) of Americans are
gearing up for travel in 2024 and are willing to splurge more than
in previous years. In fact, 45% of people plan to spend more on
their vacations compared to last year, and they’re willing to make
sacrifices to prioritize travel. Specifically, 43% of Americans
will cut back their spending on entertainment like concerts or
movies, and 40% will prioritize leisure travel plans over going out
to dinner.
However, this enthusiasm for travel comes with growing caution:
at a time when 57% of Americans express worries about the
proliferation of scams thanks to AI and deepfakes, a third (34%) of
Americans say their trust in planning and booking vacations has
decreased. Further, they’ve noted that the increasing prevalence of
AI and deepfakes makes it more difficult to recognize and avoid
scams. This trend points to the need for vigilance as cybercrooks
use more sophisticated tactics to exploit travelers.
"As Americans gear up for summer travel, it's important to
strike a balance between the excitement of planning and the need
for caution," said Abhishek Karnik, McAfee Head of Threat
Intelligence Research. "Cybercriminals are opportunists and they
exploit this peak season to tempt travelers with enticing offers.
With the rise of AI, these scams have become more sophisticated and
frequent. We urge travelers to maintain sound cyber hygiene, think
twice before clicking on a deal that seems too good to be true, and
utilize advanced AI-powered security solutions. Doing so will help
protect consumers’ vacation plans from potential cyber threats and
ensure a safe and enjoyable experience."
Travelers frequently encounter scams when booking
travel.
Americans’ concerns about cyber threats have merit; nearly one
in three (28%) surveyed have fallen victim to a travel-related
scam, and a significant portion of these victims – nearly 1 in 4
(24%) – have lost $1,000 or more to a single scam.
The prevalence of booking-related travel scams varies
significantly by age. While around 1 in 3 (28%) of Americans
surveyed say they’ve fallen victim to a travel scam when booking,
40% of Americans aged 18-29 say the same, along with just 13% of
those aged 50-65.
The three most common scams travelers encounter while
booking a vacation are: fraudulent payments after providing
credit card or bank details on a fake site (15%), clicking on a
malicious confirmation link from an unknown source (10%), and
encountering manipulated holiday destination photos (8%).
The three most prevalent scams impacting travelers
while on vacation involve experiences with deposits and
services not meeting expectations. Specifically, travelers reported
encountering issues with accommodations, where after providing a
deposit, they discovered upon arrival that the rental did not exist
(13%); providing a deposit for an event or excursion only to find
that the provider failed to show up (10%); and pre-paying for
excursions that were vastly different from what was marketed
(9%).
Travelers should exercise caution when researching “hotspot”
destinations.
As part of McAfee’s effort to help consumers stay safe while
researching travel destinations online, McAfee Labs compiled a list
of the ‘riskiest’ global travel destinations online. These are
locations where related online travel searches frequently return
unsafe results, leading to potential malware installations that
threaten consumers’ data, privacy, and identity.
To identify the top ten “hotspots” for online travel scams, the
McAfee Labs team analyzed search results associated with
travel-related keywords like "discount," "Airbnb," "local cuisine,"
and "tours." Travelers are advised to exercise heightened caution
when engaging online regarding visits to these destinations. It’s
worth noting, many of them are hosting big events this summer such
as the European Football Championship throughout Germany and the
Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
- Berlin, Germany
- Cyprus
- London, England
- Paris, France
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Bali, Indonesia
- Azores, Portugal
- Amalfi Coast, Italy
- Bermuda
- Machu Picchu, Peru
How to Protect Yourself from Online Summer Travel
Scams
Before you travel:
- Stay Vigilant: Phishing emails and texts are a common
tactic used by cybercriminals to trick travelers into revealing
sensitive information or downloading malware onto their devices. Be
wary of unsolicited messages claiming to be from airlines, hotels,
or financial institutions, especially if they ask for personal
information or prompt you to click on suspicious links. With McAfee
Scam Protection, you are alerted to suspicious links in your text
messages before you click.
- Look Out for Rental Scams: Do a reverse image search on
the photos used in the property listing and see what comes up.
Scammers sometimes use photos of actual properties that are not for
rent, as well as AI-generated images. Read the property reviews.
Listings with no reviews are a red flag. In addition, try to
validate the site exists by checking to see whether it has been
referenced in legitimate media outlets. Also, only communicate on
the rental service’s platform, like VRBO or Airbnb.
On vacation:
- Beware of Who You Trust: One of the most common social
engineering threats while traveling is impersonation scams.
Attackers may pose as hotel staff, tour guides, or even fellow
travelers to gain access to personal information or valuable
belongings. Always verify the identity of individuals before
sharing any sensitive information or handing over personal
belongings.
- Understand the Risks: Public networks are often
unencrypted, meaning that cybercriminals can intercept data
transmitted over these networks putting your information at risk of
being compromised. One of the most effective ways to safeguard your
data while using public Wi-Fi is by using a Virtual Private Network
(VPN) that encrypts your internet connection, creating a secure
tunnel between your device and the internet.
- Take Care When Scanning QR Codes: Plenty of restaurants
place QR codes on their tables so you can order from your phone.
The problem is scammers sometimes tamper with these codes to shoot
victims off to scam sites. With McAfee’s Safe Browsing, you can
block scam sites associated with bogus QR codes. AI technology
automatically scans URLs and alerts you if it’s linked to a scam
site.
- Think Before You Post: Sharing your location online in
real-time or sharing details about your travel itinerary can make
you a target for thieves and cybercriminals. Avoid oversharing on
social media, especially when it comes to your whereabouts, and
consider waiting to post travel updates until you are home.
For more information about how to better protect yourself online
and learn about McAfee’s products and services, visit
www.mcafee.com.
Survey Methodology
The survey was conducted by market research agency MSI Research
between May 1-3, 2024. An online questionnaire was completed by a
sample of 6,000 adults aged 18 to 65 and from six countries. The
sample size completed per country is as follows: 1,000 respondents
in the US; 1,000 respondents in the UK; 1,000 respondents in
France; 1,000 respondents in Germany; 1,000 respondents in Japan;
and 1,000 respondents in Australia.
Top 10 ‘Riskiest’ Online Destinations Overview and
Methodology
The research was conducted by McAfee Labs researchers between
March 11th – 29th 2024, utilizing McAfee WebAdvisor to find risky
URLs related to a range of popular holiday destinations. This
includes web pages delivering malware threats, phishing, or scam
content. Researchers queried country-specific search engines from
the matching locations with a variety of holiday destination terms
and calculated the percentage of risky URLs returned within the
search results. The final result of ‘riskiest’ online destinations
means the cities and countries that are popular search subjects and
therefore key targets for cybercriminals when creating phishing and
other online scams.
For more details on the research methodology, please contact
media@mcafee.com.
About McAfee
McAfee Corp. is a global leader in online protection for
consumers. Focused on protecting people, not just devices, McAfee’s
consumer solutions adapt to users’ needs in an always online world,
empowering them to live securely through integrated, intuitive
solutions that protect their families and communities with the
right security at the right moment. For more information, please
visit https://www.mcafee.com.
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