Russians Warned About Hundreds of Fake Airline Ticket Websites

Russian internet users have been warned about fraudulent websites posing as airline ticket sales platforms. Experts from Group-IB have identified more than 100 fake online sites targeting travelers.

Some of these cybercriminal resources have already been blocked, according to Yakov Kravtsov, head of the anti-counterfeit division in the brand protection department at Group-IB. “There has been a sharp increase in the number of phishing and fraudulent web pages disguised as airline ticket sales over the past one and a half to two months. Most of these sites have already been blocked,” Kravtsov told RIA Novosti.

The surge in fraudulent sites is striking. For example, at the end of July, there were about thirty such sites, but by mid-August, the number had grown to over a hundred.

In addition to selling airline tickets, these fake sites also pretend to offer hotel bookings, car rentals, and similar services. Sometimes, scammers even promise refunds for tickets purchased from well-known Russian airlines.

The main goal of these criminals is to steal money and bank card information from Russian citizens. To deceive unsuspecting users, they often use the branding of well-known ticket aggregators and carriers.

As always, experts advise Russians to be very careful when choosing a website to buy airline tickets or book hotel rooms.