With the arrival of the high season between the end and the beginning of the year, the security risks to travelers are increasing. A recent survey conducted byNorton, cybersecurity brand ofGen™, revealed that four out of five (83%) Brazilians were targeted by a scam when booking a trip for vacation. In total, 8% of the interviewed Brazilians reported having detected this type of scam at some point
Among the most common types of scams are: fake discounts and travel offers (41%); fake travel agencies (33%); fraudulent booking sites (29%);malvertising (14%); and phishing (11%). The economic impact is also significant: 90% of victims reported losing money. The average loss among the victims was R$ 2.375,98, being the highest recorded at R$ 25.000,00
The risks do not end upon reaching the destination. During the journey, 8% of respondents who fell for scams when booking vacation trips faced issues such as compromised credit or bank card information (37%); car rental scam (29%); scams on platforms like Airbnb and hotels (27%) and inadequate accommodations (17%). Furthermore, 14% had their devices hacked or compromised on public Wi-Fi networks
Another factor that exacerbates these risks is the excessive and careless use of social media during vacations. According to the research, 6 out of 10 respondents (60%) shared too much information on social media during the holidays. Specifically, 37% posted photos of their travel destinations and 32% tagged other people in vacation posts without asking for permission. In the same way, 3 out of 10 (31%) marked their current location, 20% revealed their travel plans on social media and 14% posted a photo of their ticket (plane), train or bus) without removing any personal information – as a name, date of birth, among others
Iskander Sanchez-Rola, Director of Innovation at Norton, it is recommended that travelers take precautions to avoid falling for scams, during peak seasons. Among the expert's tips are
- Verify the authenticity of offers, services and sellersbefore entering into transactions
- Share holiday experiences on social media only after the trip and avoid posting real-time information
- Do not share personal dataof travel documents
- Use a VPNto protect yourself when using public Wi-Fi networks
With these security measures, Norton seeks to raise awareness of the risks associated with high-season travel, encouraging responsible practices to enjoy holidays safely
Methodology
The study was conducted online in Brazil by Dynata on behalf of Gen, from 2 to 11 September 2024, with 1.000 adults over 18 years of age
