AI tools making travel scams harder to detect for U.S. consumers
Scammers are reportedly using AI tools to create increasingly sophisticated fake websites and travel scams that exploit stolen data from compromised hotel systems. The Federal Trade Commission reported Americans lost $3.5 billion to impostor scams in 2025, with nearly one in three fraud reports involving such schemes.
What happened
Scammers are using artificial intelligence tools to create more sophisticated travel scams that are harder for consumers to detect. According to Florent Silve, an executive at Engine, a corporate travel management platform, 'What used to look like a fake website now becomes much harder to spot by consumers.'
One common scam is reservation hijacking, where scammers pose as hotels or airlines and send emails or texts claiming payment failed or action is needed. Scammers obtain real reservation details by phishing hotel staff for login credentials, then use this legitimate information to make fraudulent communications appear authentic.
Reported impact
According to a Federal Trade Commission report published in June 2026, Americans reported losing $3.5 billion to impostor scams in the previous year, transmitted through text, email, phone, social media and search engines. Nearly 1 in 3 fraud reports involved impostor scams, making it the most reported fraud category.
Index analysis
Iskander Sanchez-Rola, a scam expert for Norton, noted that the most dangerous scams no longer look suspicious but appear expected, as scammers use real information from compromised hotel systems to make fraudulent communications seem legitimate.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.