When it comes to traveling somewhere far from home, it’s always wise to do some research and take a few safety precautions ahead of time — things like checking neighborhood safety, knowing how to get from the airport to your hotel, and being cautious with your valuables. But these days, on top of all of those things, there’s a new slew of risks travelers have to watch out for, thanks to the rise of AI scams, automated bots, and exaggerated, or in some cases entirely false, accommodation and tour offerings.
The tricky thing is how convincing some of these scams seem at first glance — and with the evolution of AI, they’re only getting harder to spot. For travelers, that means the usual gut check isn’t always enough. So before you pack your bags and board your next flight, here are a few tips to help you steer clear of AI-driven scams and book with confidence.
Phantom Bookings
Some travelers are arriving at their hotels with a reservation email confirmation in hand — only to find out that the reservation never actually existed in the first place. Using generative AI to mimic full reservation systems, scammers can now create confirmation emails that look identical to the real thing, down to the logos, formatting and confirmation numbers. Some might even redirect you to a copycat customer service page, making the whole booking experience feel legitimate for even the most seasoned of travelers — until the moment you try to check in, of course.
The main problem is that hotels and other booking sites can’t stop a scam they never knew about in the first place. That has left some travelers scrambling to find expensive, last-minute accommodations once they’ve arrived at their destination, while the fun of disputing the transactions and hopefully securing a refund awaits them when they get home.
The only real safeguard is cross-checking things yourself — it might seem like overkill, but once you’ve made a reservation, reach out to the property directly using contact details you’ve found elsewhere online (not just the phone number provided in the confirmation email). It also helps to always pay via PayPal or with a credit card that offers strong purchase protection, just in case you do run into a scam.
Deepfake Listings
For travelers choosing to stay in Airbnbs or independent rentals over chain hotels, this next risk is becoming harder to spot than ever: listings created entirely with AI. Fake properties have always circulated online, but the difference now is how convincing they look. Scammers can generate polished photos of stylish living rooms, stocked kitchens, and sunlit terraces that appear indistinguishable from the real thing — until you arrive at the address and find nothing there.
And even if the rental property does exist, AI is now causing misrepresentation to be a much bigger issue than ever before. In the past, hosts might occasionally brighten up photos or only use flattering angles. But now, entire interiors can be digitally remodeled — outdated kitchens shown as fully renovated, old furniture recast as brand new, and windows edited to display panoramic views that don’t actually exist.
Again, the best thing a traveler can do is be skeptical — remember, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Before you book anything, double-check that the given address matches what Google Maps says and always check Street View, too. Make sure to also look closely at the listing photos. AI images tend to have small giveaways such as distorted details, inconsistent shadows, or funky textures. If you’re unsure, ask the host for a short video of the space — anyone with a real property will provide that without hesitation. A little extra doubt up front can save you from showing up to a view — or even an entire apartment — that only ever existed online.
Hijacked Reviews
Not only have five-star reviews become ridiculously easy to fake, they can now be generated in huge volume. Automated systems are able to churn out an endless stream of polished, human-sounding comments, making an average property sound like a top pick. Even if you catch on that some reviews might not be legitimate, there’s still the problem of scale: this flood of fake, AI-generated feedback pushes genuine complaints out of sight. Critiques about cleanliness, hidden fees — or worse, safety — get buried under hundreds of five-star posts, often to intentionally drown them out.
The challenge is deciding who to trust. Star ratings really don’t mean much anymore, and skimming the first page of reviews isn’t much help either. Instead, try to look for specifics — names of employees, mentions of months or dates, specific room details — since fake reviews are usually pretty vague. Looking up reviews of the same hotel on multiple platforms, even if you don’t intend to book through them, is another easy way to spot red flags.
Voice Scams
AI voice replication technology means that scammers can easily act as a hotel staff member or airline agent — and once they provide a bit of personal information, you just might be convinced that it’s the real thing. This malicious technology is a growing problem across many industries, and the general public is only at the very beginning of understanding the potential threat this type of technology could pose down the line.
In the travel industry, voice scams work especially well thanks to the exciting anticipation of an upcoming trip. A phone call confirming an upcoming booking might feel routine, or even reassuring — and if the phone number or accent on the other line seems unusual, that might not raise suspicions when you’re headed overseas anyway.
The smart move is to never pay anything or provide any personal information on a phone call that you didn’t dial yourself. Instead, hang up, and call back the hotel or airline on their official number directly. If the issue is real, you can still sort it out — and if it isn’t, you’ve just saved yourself from a very expensive headache.
Final Thoughts:
The evolution of AI means scams are getting more sophisticated, and the onus is on travelers to protect themselves. Red flags that may have once been obvious now blend in more easily, making it harder to differentiate between real and fake bookings or reviews. This shouldn’t scare you off from taking your next trip, but it is a reminder that a few extra minutes of due diligence — confirming your reservations directly, questioning reviews, and always being cautious before you hand over your credit card information — can save you from a costly mess and a ruined vacation later on.
Emily is a freelance writer who has been traveling full-time for over five years She has visited dozens of countries but can often be found in Spain and Mexico. In her Substack, Extracurricular Pursuits, she shares personal essays and travel stories that document the quirks, chaos and realities of living abroad.