Ryanair, British Airways, EasyJet and Jet2 passengers flying this summer issued stark warning

A consumer watchdog has today issued a stark warning to all holidaymakers flying with major airlines.

Which? has exposed how fraudsters have set up bogus accounts for well-known carriers such as Wizz, Ryanair, British Airways, EasyJet, and Jet2, impersonating the legitimate companies to trick individuals into divulging personal information.

Travellers frequently turn to social media platforms like X, previously known as Twitter, to seek assistance when faced with flight delays, questions, or issues. It's common for airlines to move these conversations to direct messages, during which personal details are often shared.

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Which? has pointed out that it's particularly when people use X to report an issue that they become prime targets for scammers who reply to their posts or complaints, leading customers to unwittingly engage with counterfeit accounts, reports Wales Online.

In a telling experiment, a Which? investigator reached out to the official Wizz Air X handle, @wizzair, and was almost immediately approached by two sham accounts. "Both used near-identical language, apologising for the inconvenience, stating that they had 'already escalated this matter to the relevant department' and requesting a 'reachable WhatsApp number for assistance' via DM [direct message]," reported Which?

Consumer watchdog Which? has uncovered fake X profiles impersonating all the major UK airlines, noting that efforts to report these fraudulent accounts to X yield 'limited effect'. EasyJet confirmed to Which?

its ongoing battle against such fakes, while Jet2 acknowledged the presence of unverified accounts and emphasised its commitment to customer awareness and reporting suspicious activities.

Wizz Air has observed an uptick in counterfeit profiles on X. TUI has taken a proactive stance, stating: "We regularly monitor for any accounts impersonating Tui on social media and report accordingly for the online safety of our customers. Customers should ensure that they are only interacting with @tuiuk, which is marked with a blue tick next to it."

British Airways, Ryanair, and Virgin Atlantic did not provide comments when approached by Which?. An X spokesperson addressed the issue to the BBC, saying: "On X, you may not misappropriate the identity of individuals, groups, or organisations or use a fake identity to deceive others."

"Accounts that pose as another person, group, or organisation in a confusing or deceptive manner may be permanently suspended under X's misleading and deceptive identities policy."