Taking a trip this summer? Beware. These travel scams are now turbocharged by AI

Memorial Day is behind us, which means the summer travel season has officially arrived. Over the next three months, millions of Americans will take their annual vacations, both domestically and internationally. But as people plan these trips, they seem to be encountering more scams than ever. Here are the most common scams right now—and easy ways to protect yourself and your wallet. The top 7 travel scams right now According to a report from cybersecurity firm McAfee earlier this month, these are the top 7 types of travel scams travelers are most likely to fall for: Fake travel deals or promotions (15%) Scam booking confirmations and travel updates (15%) Manipulated or misleading accommodation listings (15%) Payment requests outside official platforms (11%) Fake vacation rental listings (10%) Fake airline or hotel websites (9%) Impersonation of airline or hotel customer service (9%) The report, which includes data from a survey of 6,000 individuals in Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, also found that people reported losing significant sums to travel scams. Specifically, nearly half of those polled (48%) said they lost more than $500 to a travel-related scam. And yes, artificial intelligence is partially to blame. As McAfee notes, “AI is making these scams faster to create, more convincing, and easier to scale.” AI tools make it easy for scammers to vibe code fake apps or websites that mimic real ones. They make it possible to generate authentic-sounding emails or text messages that link to nefarious websites designed to steal your sensitive personal information, sell you non-existent travel packages, or scrape your payment details so they can use them elsewhere. And speaking of fake apps, McAfee’s report says that the most commonly impersonated travel app is Tripadvisor, which is “cloned at roughly three times the rate of other major platforms, including Kayak, Expedia, and Booking.com.” Other ways scammers are finding vic