The prospect of being the victim of online fraud increased by 8.9 % in 2016. That merchandise categories. In apparel, the crime rate rose an eye-popping 69.9 percent. And food-and-beverage scams were up 49.8 percent.
For travel the online crime rate was down, by a 33 percent.
The data are in the latest Global Fraud Attack Index, compiled by Forter, a fraud-prevention company, in conjunction with the Merchant Risk Council.
Forter attributes the total rise in online fraud as a way to the increasingly widespread adoption of EMV chip cards, and this has made offline fraud harder and forced would-be miscreants to redirect their efforts to Internet crime.
Know Thy Seller
In spite of the reduction, there’s still lots of traveling fraud to be wary of. What should look out for?
Based on Michael Reitblat, CEO of Forter, the two most prevalent kinds of travel scam are all shady merchants selling tickets bought with stolen credit card credentials, and imitation travel websites created to steal travel consumers’ private and financial information.
In the first case, buyers of those fraudulently acquired tickets are very likely to find themselves turned away in the airport, or worse, even when it is discovered that the kind of payment was illegitimate. And in the second case, travelers not just get no tickets, they have their identities stolen.
While not nearly as widespread, Reitblat cited a growing and particularly heartbreaking tendency in traveling fraud. Travel scammers, playing the increase in refugees from war-torn nations like Syria, have targeted people desperate to escape the violence, selling them cheap air tickets that are either counterfeit or fraudulently obtained. With no money, no tickets, they are left in the end, and possibly facing criminal charges.
The tales are a reminder that caution remains the order of the afternoon when chasing low prices, and an argument for doing business directly with travel suppliers or with recognized online travel agencies such as Expedia and Orbitz. When buying travel, in other words, do so from a trustworthy seller.
Reader Reality Check
Have you ever been the victim of a traveling scam?