British Airways Passenger Loses £4k After Scammers Maliciously Cancel Flight

A British Airways passenger incurred a nearly £4,000 financial loss after fraudsters, seeking revenge for an unsuccessful scam attempt, maliciously cancelled his business class flight booking from Atlanta to London. Geoff Spink, a 63-year-old retired broadcaster, had initially booked return Club Class flights for £5,091. Following an outbound flight, Mr. Spink attempted to retrieve a lost custom-altered fleece, leading him to interact with what he believed were legitimate British Airways customer service accounts on X (formerly Twitter).

These accounts were, in fact, sophisticated scammers who attempted to coerce Mr. Spink into downloading an app for compensation, a tactic he quickly identified as fraudulent. However, after Mr. Spink ceased communication, the criminals used his booking reference (PNR) and last name to access his reservation via the BA website and cancel his return flight. Although a £600 refund for taxes and charges was processed back to Mr. Spink, he was forced to purchase new premium economy tickets for £3,891, significantly less than the £13,088 quoted for a last-minute business class replacement. British Airways reportedly informed him that cancelled tickets could not be reinstated and declined further comment on the incident.

Mr. Spink, who considers himself tech-savvy and trained in cybersecurity, expressed significant concern regarding British Airways' security protocols, specifically the absence of two-factor authentication for critical actions like flight cancellations. He highlighted that if such an incident could happen to him, it could affect anyone, urging major corporations like BA to prioritize cyber security. While his travel insurer rejected the claim, American Express, the card used for the original booking, is currently reviewing the fraud details for potential reimbursement.