A traveler's Delta flight was canceled, so he called the airline's number listed on Google. It led to a scammer — then he says he discovered more airlines with the same problem.
Nicolas Economou/Getty Images
- A Twitter user said he was nearly scammed after a canceled Delta flight.
- He called a number listed on Google for Delta, but it turned out he wasn't talking to the airline.
- After the call, he says he found six other airlines that had incorrect numbers listed on Google.
On Twitter, Shmuli Evers shared a story of canceled flights, scammers, and plenty of red flags.
Under the username @Shmuli, Evers detailed a story that started off with a canceled Delta flight.
"My @delta flight got canceled from JFK. The customer service line was huge, so I google a Delta JFK phone number. The number was 1888-571-4869 Thinking I reached Delta, I started telling them about getting me on a new flight," he tweeted on Sunday.
But that phone call led him to a scam, he said. And after more digging, Evers said he discovered at least six other airlines with what he suspected were scam numbers listed on Google.
—Shmuli Evers (@Shmuli) July 16, 2023
In a statement sent to Insider, a Google spokesperson said "we do not tolerate this misleading activity, and are constantly monitoring and evolving our platforms to combat fraud and create a safe environment for users and businesses."
Evers did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
After calling the number listed on Google, the traveler says he noticed red flags
In a tweet on Monday, Evers described lengthy in-person wait lines at Delta's customer service desk. He wrote that his flight was canceled after sitting on a plane for 2.5 hours at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, so the Twitter user turned to Google for help with booking another flight.
In a Twitter thread, he said he called the number listed under Delta's contact information for the airport via the search engine.
Evers wrote that the call initially dropped, but he received a call back from a different number, which Evers deemed a "red flag." In the hopes that it wasn't a scam, he said on Twitter that he gave the person on the phone both his name and confirmation number.
That person then offered to help him book a flight later that evening, Evers said.
"He texted me a screenshot of a flight detail from Newark, and asked me to confirm via SMS (red flag) number 845-284-1309. I thought about it and texted him back to go ahead, still thinking I am talking to Delta.." Evers said in a tweet.
Evers added that he then asked the caller where he was located. According to Evers, the man said that he was located in Rochester, New York — but when he asked the man where that was located, Evers said he told him it was two hours south of New York City. (Rochester is, in fact, 5.5 hours northwest of New York City.)
For Evers, that was the final red flag. Evers said he refused to share his credit card information with the caller who "wanted me to pay him 5 times the price of the original ticket cost."
In a statement sent to Insider, a Delta spokesperson said that "whenever we become aware of an alleged scam targeting our customers, including in this situation, we immediately conduct an investigation. Using the facts gained from an investigation, when able, we can then address each unique situation as appropriate with the necessary legal means at our disposal."
Evers looked up the numbers for other airlines and found more wrong numbers
After his experience with Delta, Evers started looking at the other contact information listed on Google for major airlines.
At the time of publishing his tweet, Evers said the numbers listed on Google for American Airlines, Air France, ITA Airways, Qantas Airways, and Turkish Airlines were all incorrect at their respective JFK airport locations.
Evers also says he found an inaccurate number listed for Southwest Airlines at LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York.
According to the Google spokesperson, the company has "already begun reverting the inaccuracies, suspending the malicious accounts involved, and applying additional protections to prevent further abuse. "
Evers isn't the only one to encounter similar scams
After publishing his tweet, a handful of others said they had experienced a similar scam when trying to contact an airline.
User @TyffiBoo wrote "happened to me but with JetBlue. The first red flag was the man picked up the phone on the first ring and I wasn't on hold for an hour."
Another Twitter user said they were scammed out of nearly $2,500.
"I had the same experience with a scammer when I called Etihad using Google search. Unfortunately, I fell for it and lost $2,400," they wrote under the username @Rembrandt727.
According to the Better Business Bureau, scams around flights aren't new.
The bureau advises travelers to "use caution and double-check the URL or phone number before providing your credit card information."
The organization's website also urges travelers to do their own research and be wary of third-party websites. If you do decide to submit a payment for travel online or over the phone, the BBB suggests using a credit card since these payments can often be disputed with your credit card company.