Holidaymakers are being alerted to a surge in scams involving fake social media profiles impersonating airlines. According to consumer association Which?, fraudulent accounts for all major UK airlines are present on X, formerly known as Twitter, and are frequently utilized to deceive customers into divulging their personal information. Which? also criticized X for its sluggish response in removing these fraudulent accounts.

In response, X stated that accounts posing as organizations may face permanent suspension under its “misleading and deceptive identities policy.” The platform previously assured Which? that it had removed all identified fake accounts. This scam typically occurs when frustrated customers attempt to contact an airline to resolve an issue. Scammers monitor social media, often using bots, to identify such interactions. They then engage with the customer, hoping to go unnoticed as a fake account.

Which? shared an example involving a researcher who reached out to the authentic Wizz Air X account, @wizzair, to inquire about a delayed flight. Shortly after, they received responses from two fake accounts using nearly identical language, apologizing for the inconvenience, claiming to have escalated the matter, and requesting a WhatsApp number for further assistance via direct message.

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