Google Maps Being Used To Scam Travelers: Airline Hotline Listings Altered By Scammers To Dupe People

Google Maps is being used by scammers to dupe travelers. Multiple people realized that popular and frequently used airlines couldn't be reached reliably.

Travelers need to be extra careful while using Google Maps. The popular platform commonly used by travelers is now swarming with tricksters and fraudsters. Let's look at the latest scam that was accidentally discovered by a traveler.

Delta Airline Traveler Discovers New Scam On Google Maps

Google Maps is an invaluable tool for travelers. It allows users to quickly navigate their way around unfamiliar cities. No matter the local language, Google Maps expertly guides travelers and even offers helpful hints about places, sights, and off-beat destinations.

Anyone with a smartphone can accurately navigate from point A to point B with helpful information using Google Maps as it lists local businesses, restaurants, ATMs, petrol pumps, and more listed. Users can also check business details such as contact numbers, business hours, addresses, etc.

The problem lies with the editing feature that Google offers to ensure it has accurate and updated information. The "Suggest an Edit" is immensely helpful to users, travelers, and businesses, if used currently and honestly.

However, scammers are abusing and exploiting this otherwise helpful feature to alter the contact information of popular Airlines to try and trap unsuspecting travelers. A Delta Airlines user discovered and reported the still nascent scamming technique.

As evident from the Tweet above, the traveler detailed his experience with a fraudulent Google Maps listing of Delta Airlines. He reportedly tried to reschedule his flight when his original flight got canceled from JFK Airport.

How Are Scammers Targeting Travelers On Google Maps By Altering Hotline Numbers?

Upon sharing his requirements over Delta Airlines' supposed hotline number listed on Google Maps, the call abruptly ended. However, the potential victim was approached from a different number mere moments after the call was terminated.

The scam was exposed when the potential victim was informed about an alternative flight leaving from Newark on the same evening but needed to confirm the same through SMS to a different number. The traveler was asked to cancel his original ticket, and the new ticket was way more expensive in comparison.

Several Internet and Twitter users have pointed out multiple red flags, which should serve as a warning. The abrupt disconnection of the first call, the change in number for further communication, communication via SMS, demanding confirmation through SMS, and costly tickets in exchange for the canceled flight instead of booking the traveler on the next flight.

How To Stay Protected From The New Google Maps Scam?

As mentioned above, Google Maps business listings work on a crowd-sourced model. This means Internet users can modify critical details of the listings. Simply put, at present there's no way to prevent scammers from altering important details of a business listing, which includes contact information.

However, travelers and general Google Maps users can try to avoid the scams by cross-verifying the contact information and other details about the businesses they are seeking.

Multiple reports suggest scammers are replacing the contact numbers of popular airlines and local businesses with similar-looking numbers. Hence, it would be wise to hunt for the official website of the business for its contact information.