Nearly one-third of Canadians have fallen victim to travel scams: survey

Industry experts are warning travellers to be wary when booking their upcoming trips online, as scammers are using artificial intelligence to defraud consumers.

“There are now so many different ways that AI is enabling those that are trying to scam people,” Chadd Andre with Flight Centre Canada said.

Flight Centre Canada commissioned a travel scam survey, which found 32 per cent of Canadians have fallen victim to travel scams. Almost half that number, 47 per cent, were Gen-Z travellers and 17 per cent admitted they were duped by a fake listing.

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According to the survey, scammers us AI to create fraudulent accommodation listings and going as far as fabricating reviews and impersonating travel agents online.

Andre said travellers might believe they’re speaking with a reputable agent when, in fact, it’s a chatbot run by a scam company.

“There are listings that pop up when you search for a certain airline travel company, or you may get a fake website or a fake phone number,” said Andre.

“Sticking to the trusted travel brands, especially the ones that are Canadian based and have consumer protection agencies behind them, are your best choice.”

The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) agreed the travel sector is vulnerable to the negative aspects of artificial intelligence.

“We are hearing more about AI-generated websites, AI-generated chatbots, so they are definitely out there,” Richard Smart, TICO’s CEO, told CTV News Toronto.

Anyone who books with a TICO-registered company may receive compensation should problems arise from their trip.

Smart advises travellers to do their research, avoid obscure companies on social media, and stick with well-established travel agencies.

“That doesn’t mean you need to go to their storefront, the vast majority of bookings are done on the phone and online, and that’s fine,” Smart said.

Earlier this year, Booking.com warned there could be a 900 per cent increase in AI-related travel scams.