RIVER FOREST, Ill. — A River Forest woman says she was tricked out of thousands of dollars while trying to change an airline reservation, after she was allegedly steered to a fraudulent phone number in what experts say is a growing travel scam involving fake airline and hotel support centers.
The schemes often involve scammers impersonating travel customer service representatives, offering help with bookings, changes or better deals while attempting to capture consumers’ payment information.
Joanna Moroz Domino said the problem began when she tried to change an Icelandair flight from Chicago to the United Kingdom. Because her ticket was nonrefundable, she said she could not make the change through the usual process.
Moroz Domino said she later received an email about the airline’s decision and used a link in that message to open a live chat.
After clicking the link, she said, she was connected with someone who appeared to be a live chat agent.
“So the guy on live chat says this person will be able to help you; you are a frequent flier. Sorry about this experience,” Moroz Domino said.
She said she believes the fraudulent phone number was provided during what she described as a legitimate Icelandair chat.
Icelandair, however, said it has found no evidence that the number “…originated from Icelandair systems or official communication channels.”
Moroz Domino described the person she spoke with as “very helpful, very apologetic, saying he’ll be able to help me.”
She said the individual claimed he could “override” the nonrefundable tickets by logging into her account, upgrading her to a more expensive “flexible” ticket and then canceling the reservation.
Moroz Domino said the arrangement was actually a scam that resulted in her paying approximately $4,000 more for the purported flexible tickets.
“The scammer logged into my account; he was the one who canceled it,” she said.
Moroz Domino said she was never refunded the approximately $2,000 she had already paid Icelandair for the nonrefundable tickets; although she did receive a refund for taxes.
A voicemail from the fake airline support stated, “This is Ethan calling from Icelandair support desk … that is just part of the taxes I was calling explain to you.”
Icelandair said that all “…subsequent communications regarding a purported refund were conducted directly with this third party…” and not with the airline.
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The company added that it takes incidents involving brand impersonation and fraud seriously and “…encourages customers to verify that they are communicating through contact information published on Icelandair’s official website.”
After ABC7 Chicago’s I-Team contacted American Express, Moroz Domino said the credit card company decided to refund nearly $4,000 she paid in the fraudulent transaction.
“Very happy and appreciative for AmEx going the extra mile so thank you so much,” she said.
Moroz Domino said American Express initially told her she had waited beyond the 60-day reporting window. However, she said the alleged scammer had delayed the process by telling her that ticket refunds would take time.
“After you got involved, they called us to discuss what happened again…” she said.
In a statement, American Express said: “We take these matters seriously and review all fraud and dispute claims carefully. We encourage customers to verify payment instructions through a trusted source before sending funds or sharing account information.”
ABC7 Chicago called the number Moroz Domino used when trying to rebook her flight.
The person who answered identified the operation as an airline reservation desk, but didn’t answer questions.
Cybersecurity experts warn that fake travel call center numbers posing as airlines and hotels can appear in online search results.
“Eventually you pay the scammers on top of what you already paid,” said Nati Tal of Guardio.
Moroz Domino said she hopes others can learn from her experience.
“I think is horrendous. And I want other people to know that you can’t trust whoever you’re talking to,” she said.
Experts also warn that fake travel representatives may send phishing messages claiming there is a problem with travel plans in an attempt to obtain personal or payment information.
Consumers are encouraged to contact airlines and hotels directly and obtain phone numbers through official apps or by calling the number listed on the back of an airline or hotel credit card.
