Think twice before you click on that email from American Airlines. In the middle of the busy holiday season, a new phishing scheme is trying to hook people who fly with the Fort Worth-based airline.
"We have several examples that have been sent to us" says American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith. "This is the classic phishing with a ph. They're out to get any kind of information from you that they can".
The phishing scheme uses phony emails and messages meant to look like the real thing from the company. But they're really trying to get sensitive personal information, including financial account numbers and passwords.
"Here's one that is looking for information from your advantage and promising you a $50 bonus" Smith showed us.
The airline is warning customers to be suspicious.
"We don't do business this way. We don't send people emails that have something other than their actual trip confirmation if they booked one," Smith says.
The company's website (www.aa.com) now includes a new page warning about the scheme, offering examples of what to look for and tips on how to avoid becoming a victim.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
"Best advice, of course, is don't open anything. You can look at their email but don't open their link" says Smith, "You just have to be very suspicious because there are a lot of unscrupulous folks out there trying to phish for personal information any way they can get it"
If you are suspicious, American's website includes instructions on how to copy and paste the content of the email and send it to American Airlines to check it out.
