Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan and former Republican Gov. Chris Sununu joined consumer advocates and government officials this week to warn New Hampshire residents about travel scams during the holiday season.
“We're seeing a real spike in scams right now,” Hassan said. “Especially concerning holiday travel because it becomes, for scammers, a pretty target rich environment. People are busy making last minute travel plans, trying to handle Christmas shopping, work, family and everything else.”
Hassan said scammers are trying to extract money and sensitive personal information by sending texts and emails that make it seem like there is an issue with a travel booking and tricking people into clicking fraudulent links.
They’re also using AI to impersonate loved ones, famous people or customer service reps to further pressure people into handing over information.
Senators and other members of U.S. Congress’ Joint Economic Committee issued a bipartisan consumer alert last week regarding scams.
Sununu joined the conference in his capacity as the president and CEO of Airlines for America, the country’s leading aviation industry lobbying group.
“Be very cautious of information that comes in through text or phone numbers that you don't recognize,” he said.
He advised consumers to report any scams they encounter and make sure to book directly with hotels and airlines. He said anyone of any age or demographic can be targeted.
Consumer advocates said that these types of scams have evolved rapidly in the past five years, with most scammers tied to transnational crime rings and capable of using technology to manipulate victims.
“Given the nature of the crime and the sophistication of the tools, it's really important to understand that being defrauded is not the victim's fault,” said AARP Fraud Watch Network’s leader Kathy Stokes. “It's a crime, the biggest crime in our country and around the world.”
Stokes encouraged potential victims to take a second to pause and consider if a too-good-to-be-true text or email seems legit.
A representative for the New Hampshire Department of Justice, who also spoke during the call, said consumers can visit the state DOJ’s consumer protection and antitrust bureau website for more information on avoiding scams.
