Hot season: what summer vacation schemes to expect from scammers
Fraudsters can use various holiday schemes in the summer of 2026 to deceive Russians, experts have warned about this. The attackers take advantage of the fact that Russians are actively looking for tours, tickets and accommodation, often making decisions based on emotions and in a hurry. Many people want to save money and find it easier to trust "burning offers" with big discounts. For more information about what summer vacation schemes to expect from scammers in 2026, what are the dangers of such tricks and how to protect yourself from them, read the Izvestia article.
What is the topic of summer holidays interesting to scammers?
The theme of summer holidays always attracts scammers, because during this period people are actively looking for tours, tickets and accommodation, often making decisions based on emotions and in a hurry, Ekaterina Edemskaya, a cybersexpert and engineering analyst at Gazinformservice, says in an interview with Izvestia. Many people want to save money and find it easier to trust "burning offers" with big discounts.
— This is used by intruders: they create fake travel agency websites, fake rental ads and mailings on behalf of airlines, — says the expert. — The number of online payments is also growing in the summer, which means that the number of attempts to steal money and personal data is increasing.
In the summer, people often make decisions quickly, especially under the influence of "burning offers" and time-limited discounts, so they are ready to transfer an advance payment without additional verification, adds Sergey Tunchik, head of the Information Security sector of the Digital Economy League. Attackers, taking advantage of the situation, create phishing and fake websites, post false ads on social networks and instant messengers in order to steal money and personal data of users.
What holiday schemes should we expect in the summer of 2026
First of all, in the summer of 2026, we should expect the appearance of classic phishing sites created, among other things, for the sale of air and train tickets, tours, as well as vouchers to camps for children and teenagers, says Maria Mikhailova, head of the Angara MTDR brand protection group. Such resources can mimic real ones or be completely unique. The content on such pages (including reviews and video reviews) can be stolen or generated using neural networks.
— It is possible that scammers will also search for their victims through social networks and messengers, in specialized chats with experienced and not so experienced tourists, — says the expert in an interview with Izvestia. — For example, neighborhood communities are already actively discussing summer holidays with children at sea or sharing ideas for interesting trips around Russia and the world.
Ekaterina Edemskaya, in turn, expects the appearance of deepfake videos and voice messages on behalf of travel agency employees, as well as fake bots for buying tickets and booking hotels. In addition, hackers can hack into the accounts of real companies and send fake discount offers to customers. Such schemes are becoming more dangerous because they look more convincing and more difficult to distinguish from real services, the expert warns.
— In the summer of 2026, the key threat will be the use of neural networks: we expect the emergence of deepfake consultants who simulate live communication in messengers, and hyperpersonalized phishing based on the analysis of recent data leaks," agrees CEO of Secure-T (Solar Group) Khariton Nikishkin. — The role of fraudulent chatbots masquerading as support services for well-known services will also increase.
In turn, experts from the MTS Defender service believe that in the coming months, schemes related to renting holiday homes for weekends may appear: fraudsters on behalf of private companies offer profitable options for country houses for a comfortable stay. If a potential victim becomes interested in such an offer, the attacker sends a link to pay for the alleged pre-booking of the order, and then disappears with the money.
What summer vacation schemes have you seen before
Meanwhile, the attackers have tried to use various schemes on the topic of summer holidays before. Such "seasonal" fraud is usually associated with the appearance of fake resources, accounts on social networks and messengers for buying tickets, booking hotels and other services, as well as the promotion of these pages, says Evgeny Egorov, a leading analyst at the Digital Risk Protection department at F6.
"When users access such resources, they enter payment data, which is then used for unauthorized debiting of funds," explains Izvestia's source.
In addition, the attackers use a news agenda and can send fake messages about the benefits and vouchers due, Evgeny Egorov notes. Scammers also have popular themes for luring victims related to children's vacations. Criminals can use fake resources to offer users to book a trip to the camp and make an advance payment, just like in hotel booking scenarios.
Such schemes are aimed at people planning vacations, buying vouchers for children, as well as booking accommodation, adds Sergey Tunchik. Most often, scammers manage to deceive those who are in a hurry and do not check the seller or the site. The danger lies in the direct theft of money, as well as in the compromise of personal and payment information. Attackers can obtain bank card data, access online banking, and also learn SMS codes, which are then used to steal funds or other fraudulent activities.
"Such schemes are dangerous because the victim can not only lose money, for example, by renting non—existent housing, but also be left without a roof over his head in a foreign country," warns Maria Mikhailova. — Buyers of fake tickets may have their vacation plans disrupted, especially if they were planning connecting flights.
How to protect yourself from summer vacation schemes in 2026
The basic rules of digital security, which do not become obsolete from year to year, help to protect themselves from the "vacation" schemes of scammers, says Sergey Tunchik. First of all, it is important to remain calm and avoid haste, especially if the offer is accompanied by pressure — for example, "the tour will burn out in five minutes" or "the last place is left."
— It is the emotional reaction and fear of missing out that scammers most often rely on, — says the interlocutor of Izvestia. — Also, you should not transfer money using questionable banking details or agree to a full prepayment without checking the seller.
According to the expert, it is better to use the official websites of companies and large, well-established platforms for booking tours, hotels and buying tickets. Additionally, it is useful to check the site itself through open WHOIS services, for example 2ip.ru : if the domain was registered very recently, for example, two weeks ago, this is a serious reason to be wary and double-check the information.
In turn, Evgeny Egorov gives the following recommendations:
— Check the domain names carefully. Attackers often register names that match well-known brands. The difference may be in one character, and it is not always possible to notice it at first glance, but when you go to such a resource, you will find yourself on a fraudulent site;
— Do not follow links from strangers. If a familiar contact sent you a link that you didn't ask for, you also shouldn't open it.
— Do not send or enter codes from SMS and push notifications on sites that you open for the first time;
— Do not download files or install applications from suspicious sites from private messages with strangers.
— It is important to remember that companies offering profitable tickets or rental options never organize transactions over the phone and do not send links for prepayment via SMS, — conclude the experts of the MTS Defender service. — If you encounter this, you must immediately stop the dialogue and hang up the phone.
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