- Buyers of cheap travel deals often face canceled reservations and loss of money
- Fraudulent travel reservations may appear legitimate until banks unexpectedly freeze accounts
- Cardholders discover unauthorized charges after multiple reservations have already been made
Holiday discounts may seem tempting, particularly when flights and hotels seem overpriced during peak season, but experts have warned that some of the cheapest deals circulating online are linked to criminal networks operating so-called buy-it-for-you schemes.
These operations rely on stolen credit card data to secure real reservations, which are then resold at deeply discounted prices to unsuspecting buyers.
Investigations by security companies including Saily and NordVPN have examined underground forums and private messaging channels where these services are promoted.
How the “Buy for Your Trip” Scam Really Works
The findings describe a structured market in which sellers advertise flights, hotel stays, and car rentals at prices often 40 to 60 percent below retail prices.
Transactions frequently move from public social media posts to encrypted chat groups, where payments are requested via crypto or money transfer apps.
For buyers, the risks are immediate and practical. A reservation made with stolen card details may be canceled without warning once fraud is detected.
Airlines or hotels may flag the booking, freeze the account or require identity verification and, in some cases, buyers report losing both the trip and the money paid to the intermediary.
Escrow services are sometimes offered to create a sense of security, but researchers note that some sellers circumvent these safeguards and disappear after collecting the funds.
Cardholders whose data is stolen face a different set of problems. Fraud often starts with small test purchases before escalating into expensive travel reservations.
“If your credit card details were included in a data breach, they could be used to buy a vacation for someone else,” says Vykintas Maknickas, CEO of Saily.
Since high-value travel transactions may look like normal expenses, fraudulent charges may not trigger immediate alerts.
Unfortunately, many users only notice the fraud when unusual charges appear on their bank statements and, by then, multiple bookings may already be made.
Banks then freeze accounts during investigations, which can disrupt routine payments and create financial stress.
Security experts advise regularly monitoring bank statements and enabling real-time transaction alerts.
Strong passwords and two-factor authentication add another layer of defense, while limiting where payment information is stored reduces exposure in the event of a data breach.
Updated firewall software and endpoint protection can also reduce the risk of malware that captures card information.
Wider use of AI tools by financial institutions could help detect suspicious patterns earlier, although detection is not guaranteed.
The lure of deep discounts continues to generate interest, especially when deals are presented as sweetheart deals with limited-time availability.
However, any arrangement requiring payment outside of established booking platforms should raise concerns, particularly when communication moves to private messaging apps.
The promise of a cheap vacation can quickly backfire, leaving travelers and cardholders facing consequences that far exceed the initial savings.
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