Travelers searching online for summer vacation deals are being warned to watch for fake bookings, phishing text messages and AI-powered scams that can steal payment details, personal information or travel money before a trip even begins.
Fake Toll Texts Target Travelers
The PCMag article, written by Kim Key and edited by Alan Henry on May 16, 2026, said online scammers often target people while they browse travel apps and vacation booking sites. The report said a cautious approach can help travelers identify suspicious offers before they share sensitive information or make payments.
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Michael Bordash, senior vice president of Research and Development at Syniverse, told the publication that phishing texts remain one of the common travel-related scams. During major holidays or events when many people are expected to travel by car, scammers send large numbers of text messages claiming that the recipient owes unpaid toll fees.
The report said such messages often direct victims to fake toll payment websites, where they are asked to enter payment details and personal information. Bordash said the urgency in such messages is part of the deception, as criminals use the pressure of an alleged immediate problem to trick people into acting quickly.
Fake Listings and Travel Document Fraud
The article also warned about fake vacation rental listings that appear too good to be true. Scammers may post fake ads on rental platforms using stolen or AI-generated images, fake accommodation photos, fake websites and even fake travel agents.
According to the report, such listings often advertise heavily discounted stays in popular vacation destinations. Clicking on a link may take travelers to a fake booking site that can collect banking details and personal data, or infect their device with malware. Victims may discover the fraud only after arriving at the supposed vacation address.
The report also highlighted fake government websites and travel document fraud. It said travelers seeking visas, passports or other urgent travel documents should be cautious of sites that charge high fees for free services or offer nonexistent services, including so-called visa lotteries. Travelers applying for an international driver’s permit were advised to use the official website of the destination country.
AI Deepfakes Add New Risk
The article described travel scams as classic social engineering schemes that exploit trust and urgency. Abhishek Karnik, McAfee’s head of threat intelligence research, told the publication that skilled social engineers quickly build trust with their targets and that generative AI has made the threat harder to detect.
Karnik said seeing and hearing can no longer always be treated as proof, because generative AI tools can create deepfakes from a photo, a short video clip or a few minutes of audio. Ben Jacob, a senior security researcher at SecureWorks, also described how a short video sample was used to generate a believable audio clone of his voice.
The report advised travelers to use password managers, verify website addresses, conduct reverse image searches for vacation listing photos and read reviews before booking. It also recommended learning common social engineering tactics, staying alert to deals that seem too good to be true and checking links for possible phishing or malware before clicking.
