Across the dark web, scammers are turning up the volume on travel fraud. Riskified analysts have seen increased activity and attention, along with refined, sophisticated tactics merchants need to watch. 

You’ll find all the details in Riskified’s latest Risk Rundown, “Booking scams are taking off.” Drawing on exclusive data from our global network of travel merchants, analysis from our fraud experts, and intelligence gathered through ongoing monitoring of dark web channels, it offers actionable intel on today’s travel fraud landscape.

The report shows that fake OTA schemes such as buy-for-you (B4U) and triangular sales are increasingly popular, with fraud networks using social media, messaging apps, and fake websites to offer deeply discounted travel. Travel rewards and loyalty programs remain highly vulnerable, and attackers are beginning to tailor their tactics to individual travel businesses, creating and sharing platform-specific playbooks and checkout intelligence.

But there are also newer risks to watch as fraudsters adapt their tactics to find new entry points and avoid detection. What’s emerged since the last Riskified rundown? Here are just a few examples:

  • A trusted signal flipped. Billing/passenger name match used to read as safe, but now fraudsters are using that signal specifically to make bad bookings look legitimate.
  • Getting fraud past the front desk. Stolen host accounts (sometimes enabled by hotel personnel) grant attackers verified platform access and full visibility, enabling them to launch attacks directly through OTA messaging systems.
  • Hotels no longer have a “safe season.” Organized fraudsters now launch attacks whenever they have the tools and data to exploit, aided by AI, which enables them to execute attacks at scale, not just during peak travel seasons.

Explore the full Risk Rundown for region-by-region data, more emerging fraud schemes, and strategies for protecting travel revenue without adding customer friction.