AirAsia Philippines on Wednesday urged travelers to beware of fake social media pages offering suspiciously cheap flights bundled with hotels, tours, and other activities.
This develops amid reports of dubious Facebook pages bearing the AirAsia brand that now proliferate as travelers look forward to the summer season.
“While social media pages and communities serve as information-sharing platforms for travelers, we strongly recommend visiting only AirAsia’s legitimate social media platforms such as Fly AirAsia where information on flight schedules and promos are posted,” AirAsia head of Communications and Public Affairs and first officer, Steve Dailisan, said.
“While we sincerely empathize with those victimized by scammers, we only honor transactions made through authorized AirAsia travel agent partners,” he added.
Statistics from the Asia Scam Report reveal that 24.8 percent of Filipinos respond too quickly to scammers’ demands while 21.1 percent choose to take a risk despite uncertainties about the online offering.
While some pretend to be a legitimate travel agent representing the airline, other bogus social media accounts contain more dangerous clickbait posts that lead to malicious websites often resulting in hacking.
“Think twice before closing an online transaction. Transact only from verified profiles and brand accounts. Double check with other legit online sources and always have reservations if the offer is too good to be true,” Dailisan said.
