The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) warned the public to remain vigilant against fraudulent ticket schemes and unauthorized sellers misrepresenting themselves as airline affiliates following a series of reports involving misleading prices and invalid bookings.
The airline regulator said it received reports of passengers transacting with individuals claiming to be affiliated with airlines or accredited travel partners.
These scammers often request payments through unofficial channels, resulting in invalid or non-existent bookings, additional charges and disrupted travel plans that undermine consumer protection measures, it said.
CAB advised passengers to exercise prudence by purchasing tickets only through official websites, ticketing offices, mobile applications or accredited travel partners. The agency noted that buying from authorized sources ensures that fares and conditions of carriage are transparent and properly honored by the air carrier.
The warning follows a recent incident where Cebu Pacific canceled several bookings found to be purchased using fraudulent or stolen credit cards.
Investigations revealed that scammers used stolen cards to book flights and converted them into travel funds, which were then used to illegally resell tickets to unsuspecting passengers through unauthorized third-party channels.
The regulator reiterated its commitment to maintaining fair air transport services and urged passengers to exercise extreme prudence to avoid falling victim to evolving digital scams.
