Anonymous applications and sites promoting reservations at “fantastic” prices
Scammers prey on travelers with fake flights and hotels
Police warned of electronic hacking and bank data theft.
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Nikolai Soling: "Cyber attackers are trying to steal tourist credentials through phishing."
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During the holidays, travelers monitored the spread of unknown websites and smart applications that promote offers for travel reservations on different airlines, at attractive "imaginary" prices compared to companies' prices, wondering about the safety of dealing with them in light of the high travel prices on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha.
On the other hand, police and government agencies and experts have warned of fraud and electronic phishing that travelers may be exposed to, including fake deals promoted on anonymous websites, when booking a flight or hotel, and they also warned against using public Wi-Fi networks, And posting pictures through personal accounts on social networking sites, revealing information about their travel destinations and their itinerary, which encourages fraudsters to rob their homes that their owners leave without supervision.
In detail, travelers told «Emirates Today» that some of them deal with applications and websites that provide travel reservations at discounted prices, compared to their prices on the websites of airlines, but they recently monitored the spread of unknown and unknown applications that promote fake hotel and airline reservations via the Internet, which caused They had several concerns about being scammed.
For his part, Nikolai Soling, Head of Technology at Help AG, which specializes in cyber security, stressed the importance of travelers taking care and caution against frauds that are carried out through social engineering that exploits e-mail, text messages and social media.
He pointed out that cyber attackers are trying to steal the credentials of tourists, through phishing campaigns, claiming to be from an airline, credit card company or tourist authority.
Using this method, he said, phishers attempt to convince travelers of an incredibly premium deal, redirecting them to seemingly "trusted" platforms, sending fake links or claiming to be officials communicating with them about a travel agency reservation, hotel reservation, or flight. .
He warned against other fraudulent means of social engineering, such as using an authorized travel site to display listings in order to lure travelers into fake deals, warning that having such fears of such threats does not mean abandoning travel plans.
He advised travelers to take a number of measures to stay away from risks, including always booking flights and hotels from a trusted source, making digital payments with caution and attention, to avoid exposure to fraud, and paying attention to suspicious deals that seem unrealistically cheap.
Users should also avoid clicking on suspicious sites or with names with questionable spelling, misspellings, and we advise them to hover over the link to view it.
He stressed that by adhering to the necessary procedures and best practices, travelers can protect themselves from fraud.
Soling stressed the importance of travelers taking care, caution, care and securing their homes during their travel period, and avoiding wrong behaviors, such as posting pictures that reveal their travel destinations and the itinerary of their journey, as this can allow for robbery of their homes during their travel.
He stressed the importance of connecting to the Internet securely, pointing out that although most airports, cafes and tourist sites offer (Wi-Fi) service, so travelers should think carefully before using the unsecured Internet, because cybercriminals create false networks with disguised names in order to Access to sensitive information.
In the same context, banking and police authorities issued several warning messages, recently, about the escalation of financial fraud crimes in the cyberspace, calling on community members to be vigilant, stay alert and protect themselves, especially with the increase in fraud, alerting to the multiplicity and development of ways and methods followed. Scammers to catch the victim.
Abu Dhabi Police stated that the seasonal vacation period is one of the most important seasons of electronic shopping, which may lead to fraud or piracy, calling for caution to avoid the risks that pirates seize their bank account data on the Internet.
She cautioned that with the spread of the Internet, fraud methods increase, and perpetrators often take advantage of the victims' needs or their desire to obtain certain services, at competitive prices, and communication through these sites without a headquarters within the country or reliable phone numbers.
For its part, the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority has warned travelers of the danger of using public Internet communication networks, as hackers usually use these networks to know their importance during travel, and exploit them to steal personal data.
It called on travelers to use the service provider's network or connect via virtual private networks (VPN), to ensure security and protect them from hacking operations during travel, explaining that to prevent any hacking of individuals' devices before traveling, by making sure that the operating systems and applications they use are updated, To get the latest security updates.
It warned travelers of the importance of maintaining a backup copy of their data, as this procedure contributes to preserving it in the event of any accident, which may cost them the loss of their data or devices while traveling.
She stated that as social media continues to evolve with new platforms and trends, it is important for all individuals to use social media optimally, and to stay safe on these platforms.
Cyber tips
The Abu Dhabi Digital Authority has published a number of cyber tips through its accounts on social media, including guidelines for safe surfing the Internet.
And she called on users to verify the importance of checking before clicking on any link or advertisement from the address (URL), to which it is linked, and to make sure that the requested domain is correct, explaining that this can be easily verified, by hovering the cursor over the link, and looking at the address preview text, The address must begin with HTTPS.
An expert calls for dealing with trusted websites and not publishing travel information on “social media.”
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