Travel scam advice: How to spot fake Skyscanner messages

If you’ve been contacted by someone claiming to be Skyscanner, it’s important to know the red flags. Savvy scammers are impersonate trusted travel brands to try to steal personal information.

We’ve recently seen cases of travellers being targeted by scammers claiming to be Skyscanner. We want to help you stay informed and protect your personal and financial information.

Important to know: Skyscanner is an online travel search platform.
We do not take bookings over the phone or via instant messaging, and we would never call you to request payment or complete a booking.

Scammers can be convincing, and it’s not always easy to spot a fraudulent email, message or phone call. Here’s what to watch out for.

How to spot a fake “Skyscanner” message

1. Check the sender’s email address

An email may look genuine, but the sender address often reveals the truth.
Hover over the sender name to see the full email address and look carefully for misspellings or unusual domains.

Skyscanner would never email you from a Hotmail, Gmail or other free email service.

Examples of scam email addresses we’ve seen include (but are not limited to):

Some scammers may also use fake names that sound like a real person, sometimes even going as far as to impersonate a Skyscanner employee.

A Skyscanner employee will never email you from their personal email address.

2. Don’t call unsolicited numbers

Skyscanner does not handle bookings by phone. If someone asks you to call a number to complete a booking or make a payment, it is a red flag.

3. Don’t be fooled by logos or professional language

Scammers can easily copy logos, branding and wording from legitimate websites. A professional-looking email does not guarantee it’s real.

4. Never share sensitive information

Do not share passwords, bank details or personal information over email, phone or instant message.

Avoid clicking suspicious links or downloading attachments from unexpected messages. If you wish to visit the Skyscanner website, it's safest to type in the Skyscanner.co.in website directly into your browser. You can then bookmark it for easy access.

5. When in doubt, contact Skyscanner securely

If you’re unsure whether a message from Skyscanner is genuine, contact us directly via our official help pages rather than replying to the message.

You can also find general advice on spotting scam emails from trusted consumer protection organisations such as Which? and Action Fraud.

If You’ve Been Scammed

We are taking steps to combat these fraudsters, including legal and trademark actions, reporting incidents and supporting affected travellers where possible.

If you believe you’ve been the victim of a scam:

1. Contact Skyscanner

Get in touch with our support team through our official website to report the incident.

2. Contact your bank immediately

Ask your bank if they can stop or reverse the payment (for example, through a chargeback) and report the fraudulent transaction. Banks can also investigate and potentially block the scammer’s account to help prevent further fraud.

Staying cautious and double-checking communications can help keep your travel plans — and your money — safe.

FAQs about preventing travel scams

Start by checking the sender’s email address carefully — not just the display name. Scammers often use addresses with small misspellings or extra words. Be cautious if you’re asked to make a payment over the phone, via bank transfer or through a messaging app, as Skyscanner doesn’t handle bookings or payments directly. Poor grammar, urgent language and unexpected attachments or links are also common red flags.

Never share passwords, one-time login codes, bank details, card numbers or copies of your ID over email, phone or messaging apps. Legitimate travel companies won’t ask for sensitive information in this way. If you’re ever unsure, stop the conversation and contact the company directly through their official website.

Act quickly. Contact your bank or card provider straight away to report the transaction and ask about stopping or reversing the payment. Change any passwords you may have shared or reused, and enable two-factor authentication on important accounts. Then report the scam to Skyscanner through their official help pages.

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