Travel Fraud Rings Increasingly Mimic Legitimate Customer Behavior

Flight fraud trends

Riskified reported that fraud risk in airline bookings increased during the first five months of 2026, with the largest year-over-year rise occurring in May. The company said flight fraud risk was 32% higher in May 2026 than in May 2025.

The findings are based on the company’s review of hundreds of millions of transactions involving flights, hotels and land transportation. Riskified said its travel network included more than 60 merchants and had processed $828 billion in cumulative travel transactions as of June 2026.

The report, titled “Riskified Travel Industry Insights: Flights, Hotels & Land Transportation,” says fraud activity is occurring beyond traditional seasonal travel peaks. According to the analysis, organized groups are changing tactics throughout the year in response to fraud-prevention measures used by travel companies.

Hotel fraud exposure

The analysis found that hotel fraud patterns did not always correspond directly with periods of highest revenue. July and August generated the most hotel revenue in the data reviewed, but they also had the greatest potential exposure to fraud-related losses.

Riskified identified April 2025 as the riskiest month for hotel fraud activity, reporting a risk level 20% above the yearly average. The company also said five-star hotels represented the highest-risk hotel segment in its analysis.

The data indicates that higher-value bookings can be attractive to fraudsters, although the report did not provide a total estimate of fraud losses across the travel industry. Riskified’s measurements are based on its internal risk benchmarks, selected transactions with high estimated fraud probability and confirmed chargebacks.

Changing booking signals

The company said indicators previously associated with suspicious transactions may no longer be sufficient on their own. Billing-name and passenger-name mismatches remained a notable risk factor in 2025, with those transactions 2.5 times riskier than other flight purchases.

However, Riskified said bookings in which the billing name matched the passenger name also became more risky after November 2025. By the period measured, the risk level for those transactions was more than 30% above the January 2025 baseline.

The finding suggests that fraudsters may be using compromised identities and payment information in ways that allow bookings to resemble those made by genuine customers. The company said this can make it harder for airlines and travel agencies to rely on established behavioral signals.

Last-minute purchases also continued to carry higher risk. Flight bookings made fewer than seven days before departure were 2.3 times riskier than other bookings, according to the report. Such purchases can challenge companies that need to process bookings quickly while screening for fraudulent activity.

Account and loyalty program abuse

Riskified said travel accounts remain a target because they may contain loyalty points, stored payment details, personal information and reservation records. Fraudsters can use compromised accounts to redeem points for gift cards, sell points for cash or make unauthorized travel bookings, the company said.

The report also identified account abuse on travel platforms as a concern. Stolen or compromised accounts may provide access to guest messages, itinerary information and established customer relationships. Riskified said this can make fraudulent activity more difficult to identify, particularly when the account has a history of legitimate use.

The company attributed some account compromises to phishing attempts, data breaches and other methods used to obtain customer credentials. It said compromised identities, devices and accounts are being used for high-value purchases in travel and related sectors.

Methodology and limitations

Riskified said the report covers full-year 2025 transaction data and 2026 trends through the date of analysis. The sample included airlines, online travel agencies, hotels and land transportation providers within the company’s merchant network.

The report’s findings reflect activity observed in that network and may not represent all travel transactions or fraud activity across the wider industry. The company said its risk-level measure tracks changes in fraud patterns over time rather than serving as a direct measure of confirmed fraud in every transaction.

Riskified said travel businesses face pressure to approve legitimate bookings while responding to tactics that can resemble normal customer behavior. Its report argues that companies need fraud-monitoring systems that can adjust as booking patterns and account-compromise methods change.