the Fraudian Slip Podcast: Gen – Can You Spot the Latest Vacation Scams?

Summary 

• It is officially summer, which means it is also travel season. It can also be prime scam season, with everything from fake websites to data breach-fueled phishing scams. 
• There are a handful of vacation scams making the rounds in 2026, particularly reservation scams.  
• Identity Theft Resource Center President James E. Lee speaks with CEO Eva Velasquez and Gen Security Evangelist Luis Corrons about all things summer scams, including “reservation hijack” scams and why they are difficult for consumers to spot. 
• If you think you or someone you know is the victim of a vacation scam or identity theft, fraud or a scam, call or text the ITRC toll-free by phone (888.400.5530) or live chat on our webpage to speak with an expert advisor.  

Below is a transcript of our podcast with our special guest, Luis Corrons of Gen 

Welcome to the Fraudian Slip, a podcast by the Identity Theft Resource Center, where we peel back the layers of the latest scams, fraud and identity threats. I’m James E. Lee, President of the ITRC. Can you spot the latest vacation scams? What do you need to know about them? 

Joining me today is Luis Corrons, a Security Evangelist at Gen and, as usual, the ITRC’s own CEO, Eva Velasquez. At least in the northern hemisphere, it’s officially summer, which means it’s also travel season for many people. It’s also prime scam season too. From fake websites to data breach-fueled phishing scams, the bad guys don’t take holidays like the rest of us. 

Here’s our chat with Luis and Eva. 

We Talked with Luis Corrons About the Following: 

• What exactly does a Security Evangelist do? 
• We often talk about data breaches in the abstract, but the downstream effects can be very impactful. Gen recently identified more than 350 compromised accommodations across 50 countries linked to what you call “reservation hijack” scams. Walk us through how a backend breach or credential compromise at a hotel or a third-party booking vendor translates into a highly targeted phishing lure landing in a traveler’s inbox? 
• In your analysis of these vacation scams, what is the typical “pretext” attackers use to trigger panic? Also, how do they successfully pivot the victim away from a legitimate portal over to a fraudulent webpage? 
• We’ve talked a lot about travel today, but are there other summer scams people need to be prepared to avoid? What should they do to avoid summer and vacation scams in general? 

We Talked with Eva Velasquez About the Following: 

• Why does summer always seem to act as a trigger for bad actors? We take vacations; why can’t they?! 
• What makes the reservation hijack scam so terrifyingly effective is its accuracy. The scammer isn’t guessing; they know the traveler’s exact check-in date, the correct property name and the confirmation number. Why is this specific brand of social engineering so difficult for the average consumer to spot? 
• This is part of a bigger trend, isn’t it: artificial intelligence-fueled lookalike websites for all kinds of transactions people make. How are fraudsters leveraging search engine manipulation and even AI tools to make these lookalikes nearly indistinguishable from legitimate brands? 
• What should someone do if it turns out they have become the victim of one of these travel or other scams? What’s the first step they should take? 

Contact the ITRC 

If you think you have been the victim of identity theft, fraud or a scam, vacation scams or otherwise, you can always speak with an expert ITRC advisor about your identity issues. We’re available via phone or text (888.400.5530) on our website to live chat or by email during our normal business hours (Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT). Just visit idtheftcenter.org to get started.     

Please hit the like button for this episode and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Join us next week for our sister podcast, the Weekly Breach Breakdown. We will be back next month with another edition of the Fraudian Slip.