Airport Employee Reveals Rising Luggage Tag Scam Concentrating on Vacationers

A Delta Air Lines baggage claims supervisor is warning vacationers a couple of new rip-off involving discarded baggage tags. According to the airport employee who shared the warning on Reddit, scammers rigorously observe passengers who take away and discard their baggage tags in baggage declare areas. They then use this discarded info to submit reimbursement claims to airways. The result’s issues for vacationers with professional claims.

A latest “influx of fraudulent claims” is prompting aviation employees to advise passengers to attend till they’re safely dwelling earlier than eradicating and disposing of any baggage identification tags. “Please be careful and don’t take your tags off at the airport,” the employee warned of their put up. “They can steal enough information from that to use your travel itinerary to get paid.”

How The Luggage Tag Scam Works

The scammers goal busy baggage declare areas the place vacationers typically instantly take away and discard their baggage tags. By accumulating these discarded tags, criminals achieve entry to your full title, flight info, and generally even membership numbers.

This info is then used to file false claims for allegedly lacking gadgets, looking for financial compensation from airways. The Delta Air Lines worker famous that the rising development is creating difficulties for bags declare departments making an attempt to tell apart between professional and fraudulent claims. The warning extends past simply airport terminals.

A former lodge worker commenting on the Reddit put up revealed that comparable fraud has occurred utilizing bag tags discarded in lodge rooms. “Just adding to this … also, don’t throw these away in your hotel room either. As a former hotel employee, there have been a few instances of fraud using bag tags found at hotels, too,” the commenter suggested.

Protecting Yourself From The Scam

Security specialists suggest a number of measures to guard your self from this more and more widespread journey rip-off. First, all the time maintain your baggage tags hooked up till you arrive dwelling. When within the security of your residence, you’ll be able to then safely eliminate them by shredding or chopping them up.

The identical warning applies to printed boarding passes, which include comparable worthwhile private info. Some worldwide airports have acknowledged this threat, with one Reddit person noting: “Japan had secured bag tag disposal receptacles near the secured exit of baggage claim…this explains why.”