Fraudsters are targeting former customers and employees of Thomas Cook, with more than 53 domains related to the firm having been registered in the wake of the travel company’s collapse. Some of these domains have been hosting forms allowing those connected with the firm to claim compensation, although in actual fact those forms are simply phishing for personal details.
Skurio, a security research firm, is alerting former Thomas Cook employees and customers, urging them to exercise caution when visiting online services claiming to be related to the tour operator. It also noted that those looking for compensation should contact the CAA in the first instance.
While none of the websites appear to be hosting malware, the phishing scam could prevent customers still awaiting compensation from Thomas Cook’s collapse from receiving any. This is because the scammers would simply use the details entered on the form to claim the compensation for themselves.
Banks have reacted to the increase in scams targeting Thomas Cook customers and former employees by issuing warnings. Santander, HSBC and the Co-Operative have all issued advisories to their customers urging them to be vigilant.
However, many of these sites are being hosted by platforms such as Wix and WordPress, so it begs the question as to whether hosting companies should be doing more. Data Centre Review has contacted the various hosts for comment, and will update this article when we receive a response.
