Nikhil Prasad 
Hotel News: Fraudulent Travel Sites Flood the Internet as Holiday Season Nears
As summer vacation planning accelerates, so does a dangerous parallel trend—the rise in fraudulent travel websites designed to scam unsuspecting consumers. New data released by cybersecurity firm DNSFilter has raised serious concerns about the growing number of fake travel-related domains targeting individuals searching for holiday deals.
Image Credit: DNSFilter
From January through April 2025, DNSFilter has observed a worrying spike in traffic to deceptive travel websites using keywords such as “vacation,” “travel,” and “all-inclusive.” Cybercriminals have seized on the seasonal increase in online travel searches to deploy elaborate phishing schemes and malware traps. This Hotel News report highlights that fake travel domains often lure users with promises of cheap airline tickets, luxury getaways, and irresistible last-minute deals, only to harvest personal information or install malicious software.
Startling Trends Revealed in DNSFilter’s Analysis
The DNSFilter team revealed that the most dangerous period is typically between May and June, when traffic to malicious sites embedded with the word “travel” reaches its highest levels. On May 8, 2024, the firm recorded a shocking 256% jump over average travel site traffic when compared to data from 2023 through early 2025.
June 12, 2024, marked another red flag, as DNSFilter’s systems blocked a record 3.46% of all traffic to domains featuring the word “vacation.” April 2025 also saw a sharp 116% increase in hits to dangerous travel-themed domains, suggesting cybercriminals are intensifying their efforts ahead of the high-travel summer window.
Between May and July 2024, there was a staggering 235% rise in harmful domain visits related to travel compared to previous averages. Scammers often impersonate well-known brands and destinations using names such as “Delta,” “Spirit,” “beach,” “Mexico,” and “tour” to build trust and lure unsuspecting consumers into traps.
Public Urged to Stay Alert
With online bookings now dominating the travel industry, DNSFilter warns consumers to tread cautiously. Offers that appear too good to be true often are. Misspellings in URLs, unfamiliar domain names, and unrealistic prices are among the telltale signs of a scam.
Consumers are strongly urged to only book through established, reputable travel platforms and to install robust threat filtering tools that can preemptively block dangerous sites. Regularly updating domain filtering policies is another effective way to avoid falling victim to rapidly evolving scam tactics.
Ken Carnesi, CEO and co-founder of DNSFilter, emphasized the gravity of the threat. “This is the time of year that people start making summer travel plans and unfortunately, it’s also when bad actors try to rip them off. Our threat filtering platform identifies and blocks access to unwanted or malicious sites by finding and categorizing threats and harmful sites before a connection is made. We will continue to educate and defend our customers, creating a more secure online experience both before peak travel season and throughout the year.”
As the digital travel landscape becomes more treacherous, vigilance and common sense remain essential tools for consumers. With cybercriminals becoming increasingly sophisticated, staying informed and cautious is not optional—it’s a necessity. Booking your dream vacation should bring joy, not a bank account nightmare.
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Kittisak Meepoon 