Warning about Credit Card Fraud
 

A word about credit card fraud:

I redeemed some miles at Avianca for a ticket this week, all through the website. Gave my cc data to pay for the taxes associated with that ticket. All went well, no glitches in the website.

The following day, someone called saying that that charge was eventually declined and that I needed to provide my cc data again.

They had my full name, itinerary and address as in file for Avianca.

Due to the information they already had, I gave them the information they asked for (which was the same I used in Avianca's site).

Well, it was a fraud attempt . . . They tried a much higher charge, which fortunately my cc rejected and subsequently alerted me.

Could be just another story of cc theft except that there is someone working for Avianca that is fueling the scammers the data of their clients. Beware.

You sure it wasn't just Avianca making a mistake on the charge?

Anytime you receive a call asking for any PII, no matter how much the caller knows, just say that you are busy and call back the published # for the vendor.

It's also more than possible that there is a security flaw somewhere on OP's side of the equation, having nothing to do with AZ.

You're right to be skeptical, giving the frequency of half-baked stories published here, but in this particular case, I'm positively sure that:

1. This was not a mistake by Avianca. The fraudsters attempted (unsuccessfully) a charge of several thousand dollars after a successful charge of one dollar to validate the cc. In both cases the merchant was not Avianca.

2. I checked and my reservation and e-ticket were valid all the time while this was happening

3. I don't want to be presumptuous (besides, no one can be 100% sure with regard to computer malware) but I was, for several years, an IT professional and my computers are very secure - as secure as a computer can be.

Often1, you're right, of course, about the procedure you suggested. I was caught off-guard, and my reaction was naive. Living in Rio de Janeiro, I have had others scams attempted by phone which I recognized as what they were, but not this one But my naiveté in this case is not the point here: I have posted this incident to alert fellow FTers that there is someone, probably a rogue employee, with access to our data, and the intention to use it for personal fraudulent gain.

I hope that this does not happens with no one else; I'm just saying "stay alert" (which, again, in this case, I was not)

Sorry to bump an old thread but last night I received a call from +1 305 447 2819 listed as Miami, FL.

They called and said the flights we had booked with TG using LM was going to be cancelled and offered a refund. He knew our names, flights, routes and date. I asked for alternative flights and he said "We can't change flights, we can only arrange a refund."

I know my rights and generally airlines offer an alternate flight or a refund. I declined and we wound up the call.

I called LM who said they have no record of any notification from TG or any record of a call and the number was unknown to them. I also called TG who said the flight was still scheduled.

So I now conclude it was a failed phishing attempt. Perhaps if I agreed to a refund he would have asked for my cc details, which I would have questioned because all my past calls have the pax enter their cc details using their keypad.

Make sure your airline record is loaded with ticket numbers, Having a confirmed flight booking using Lifemiles won’t do you any good if you show up at the airport and discover too late that there is no ticket number associated with the booked flights.

Yes, friends warned me of this. It didn't ticket after 48 hours so I called they did it immediately.

With PNR / ticket number and last name the noted information is available via the alliance public airline booking management systems. Flights booked with BA for AA flights can be managed with the RJ booking management system, as an example. Providing personal information to an unsolicited contact is not good practice.

I am aware of this, and as I said, I literally offered no information.

The caller had the PNR and names so had access to the info.

I assume leaked by a LM employee for phishing purposes.

And airline ticket issuers can routinely refund tickets for cancelled flights without being given the bank card details again.

Just wanted to chime in and say I also received a call from +1 305 447 2819 today.

In my case, I was actually expecting a call from Avianca as I made a LM redemption yesterday morning via the website, which could not be completed online for some reason. Avianca issued a record locator for the tickets and after speaking w/ their customer support team via Twitter and email, they confirmed that someone would be reaching out to me to process payment for the taxes + fees, thus completing the reservation.

So, this afternoon I received three consecutive calls from this unknown number, each of which I declined as I assumed it was a telemarketer and then after listening to the voicemail they left, the caller claimed to be from Avianca, calling to complete the booking.

I don't know what to think. On the one hand, I can totally see how this could be a scam, orchestrated by a rogue employee with access to our information as others have suggested. On the other hand, I was expecting a call along these lines.

Another detail is that the caller did not leave a callback number even though they requested that I call back. And calling the number they called me from leads to some sort of "this number is not in service" message.

You were expecting a call from Avianca and you received a call from Avianca; but you didn't bother answering the call. What is the question? Not out of the ordinary for the number displayed to be inconsequential.

If you look above you'll see it's the same number I quoted above which Avianca stated is not theirs. Would be curious to see if the agent asked for your cc number which would prove it was rogue employees.

Read the full thread more closely before trying to call me out as though this is my fault. The number that called me is the same number that another user posted about earlier, speculating that it's from a suspicious source.

Avianca obviously has employees conducting fraud, and that is why you nevee give them the credit card number but instead input it. I have never seen another airline do that