Scammers have found a new hunting ground on social media, infiltrating genuine customer queries and complaints on X to target unsuspecting customers of major airlines. Which?, a consumer rights organization, has uncovered a disturbing trend where fraudsters are impersonating trusted airline brands with ease, posing as customer service representatives to steal sensitive data from frustrated customers seeking assistance.
The scam, which was first reported by Which? in July 2023 when fraudsters were found posing as easyJet customer service reps, has not only returned but has also expanded to include fake customer service accounts for every major airline operating in the UK. Scammers are using automated software, known as bots, to quickly identify customers contacting airlines on X and respond to their queries or complaints, hoping that the unsuspecting victims won't notice they are being contacted by a fake account.
In one instance, a Which? researcher, who contacted the genuine Wizz Air X account (@wizzair) to inquire about a flight delay, received responses from two fake accounts almost immediately. Both accounts used nearly identical language, apologizing for the inconvenience, claiming to have escalated the matter to the relevant department, and requesting a "reachable WhatsApp number for assistance" via direct message (DM). This tactic is a common ploy used by scammers to obtain personal information from their victims.
The fake accounts discovered by Which? were found to be impersonating every major airline operating in the UK, including British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair, Tui, Virgin Atlantic, and Wizz Air. Disturbingly, the bogus accounts were often quicker to respond than the genuine airlines, and they even interrupted existing conversations between customers and the real airlines, making it harder for victims to spot the deception.
Scammers employ various tactics to deceive their victims, such as asking for sensitive data like phone numbers and booking references via DM, directing customers to click on links to phishing websites that harvest their card details, or claiming that the customer is entitled to compensation or owes a small fee to resolve their issue. In some cases, scammers even pay for a blue tick verification on X to appear legitimate.
Reporting fake accounts to X seems to have limited success, as most of the posts and accounts flagged as impersonation scams by Which? using the X reporting feature were still live at the time of writing. When contacted by Which?, the X press office stated that all mentioned accounts had been suspended for violating the X Rules but offered no further comment.
When Which? reached out to seven airlines to inquire about the number of fake accounts they had reported to X so far this year, none provided a direct answer, and none would confirm if they had considered leaving X due to the prevalence of fake accounts targeting their customers. British Airways, Ryanair, and Virgin Atlantic did not respond at all, while easyJet, Jet2, Tui, and Wizz Air provided statements acknowledging the issue and advising customers to be vigilant and only engage with their official, verified accounts.
To protect themselves from falling victim to these scams, customers are advised to check an airline's official website for links to its genuine social media profiles before engaging with them on X. They should also be wary of accounts that ask for personal or financial information, as airlines will never request such details over social media. Instead, customers should contact customer service through the official claims or call centers listed on the airline's website for any queries or complaints.
