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 by theNorton, cybersecurity brand of theGen™, revealed that four in five (83%) Brazilians fell victim to a scam when booking a trip for the holidays. 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: discounts and fake travel offers (41%); fake travel agencies (33%); fraudulent booking sites (29%);malvertising (14%); and phishing (11%). The economic impact is also significant: 90% of the victims reported losing money. The average loss among the victims was R$ 2.375,98, being the highest recorded of R$ 25.000,00
The risks do not end upon reaching the destination. During the trip, 8% of respondents who fell for scams when booking holiday trips faced issues such as compromised credit or bank card information (37%); car rental scam (29%); attacks 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 the holidays. 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 holiday 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, recommends 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 vendorsbefore making transactions
- Share holiday experiences on social media only after the trip and avoid posting real-time information
- Do not share personal datatravel documents
- Use a VPNto protect yourself when using public Wi-Fi networks
With these security measures, Norton aims to raise awareness among users about the risks associated with travel during peak seasons, encouraging responsible practices to enjoy holidays safely
Methodology
The study was conducted online in Brazil by Dynata on behalf of Gen, between the 2nd and 11th of September 2024, with 1.000 adults over 18 years old
