I’ve got the seven worst 2026 airport scams for your review and advice. You need to avoid getting caught by them.
Airport scams can make your journey miserable at its start and every time you fly. The scams can result in serious identity and financial theft. It can take months, sometimes years, to recover from airport scams. I recommend taking a commonsense approach to avoid being victimized at airports.
Here is my list of the seven worst 2026 airport scams.
Fake Wi-Fi networks can allow scammers to record any usernames or passwords and other identification data you use while connected to the network and Quishing allows hackers to obtain that same data from your cellphone.
The Evil Twin scam:
Fake Wi-Fi networks are found in airports across the world. They use Wi-Fi network names similar to the real Wi-Fi networks in airports. They may be just a letter or two different than the real network or reverse the wording. Scammers hope that you won’t know the difference. The fake (evil twin) networks watch and record your keystrokes. They record every username and password you use, plus every piece of identity and financial information you type.
If you’re not sure of the Wi-Fi network don’t connect to it.
Ask an airport official what the real network name is. Never connect to any public Wi-Fi network without using a VPN (virtual private networking) connection. If you can’t be sure of the network, use the cellular network on your phone and even use your cellphone as a hotspot for your laptop computer if you use it.
The Quishing scam:
I’m sure you’re aware of what QR codes are, those squares with the black-and-white patterns. They’re on posters, restaurant tables, advertisements, etc. Too often, scammers use fake QR codes for quishing, manipulating your computer via publicly displayed QR codes. They adhere QR overlays over legitimate publicly displayed QR code squares. When you use your smartphone to read them, they take you to fake websites where they attempt to steal your personal and financial information. Don’t fall for the Quishing scam. If the QR code is peeling, misaligned, or somehow suspicious, don’t use it. Type in the real website address it’s trying to prevent you reaching by typing its address directly.
Juice jacking can allow scammers to steal your cellphone data directly or install malware to collect the data over time, while ATM skimmers and shimmers can collect and later use your ATM card information.
The Juice Jacking scam:
Cellphone USB charging stations are available in most airports across the globe. Unfortunately, scammers have compromised some in order to steal your personal and financial information from your cellphone, starting the moment you plug in. I never use them. When I need to charge my phone at the airport, I use my own charger plugged into an electric outlet. You can plug a charging-only cable into the airport charging station. They aren’t capable of transmitting data.
The ATM Skimmer and Shimmer scam:
It’s been reported that some airport ATMs across the globe have been compromised with skimmers and shimmers. These devices are attached to the exterior or installed in the interior of ATMs. Shimmers, in particular, are almost impossible to detect. If you use an ATM with one of these devices installed, your card number, expiration date, security code, and pin number can all be stolen. If the card slot is different than expected, don’t use the ATM. When using ATMs, cover your typing hand as you enter your pin number. I don’t ever use airport ATMs. I only use ATMs in banks.
Posting a photo of your boarding pass online can compromise your airline account data and enable the theft of your frequent flier miles/points.
The Boarding Pass scam:
Far too many travelers post photos of their boarding passes on social media or leave them easily visible in the airport where they can be photographed by a scammer. Scammers can get a wealth of information from a photo of your boarding pass. They plainly see your full name, flight information and booking reference code. In addition, scammers can easily read and decode the barcode or QR code on your paper or digital boarding pass. Armed with that information they can cancel your flight and make a new reservation of their own, steal your frequent-flier miles/points, plus impersonate you online. They can use your personal information gathered from your boarding pass for other purposes.
Never post a photo of any travel document online or any of its individual information at any time before, during or after your journey. Don’t post your flight information or any airline account information on any social media at any time, even after you get home. Upon arriving at their destination, many travelers throw out their boarding passes in their hotel room. Don’t do it. Scammers could hunt through hotel trash. While they won’t be able to use your flight information directly, they can get your personal and airline account information and use that for their theft of your miles or points. Bring home your boarding passes from all for your journey’s flights and discard them there. Personally, I shred my boarding passes once at home.
If you discard your luggage tag at baggage claim, you can enable scammers to submit false luggage claims to the airlines using your personal information.
The Luggage Tag scam:
Have you ever yanked your luggage tag off your bag at baggage claim and thrown it away there? You’ve left yourself open to a scammer using that tag in your name to falsely submit a lost or damaged luggage claim. That can come back to haunt you and make it more difficult and time-consuming to process and reimburse legitimate lost luggage claims properly.
Don’t remove your luggage tags until you get to your hotel or after you return home. Destroy the luggage tag to the extent possible. Destroy it before disposing of it. At home, shred your luggage tags.
Loose cash, keys, passports, cellphones, and other items are ripe for theft unless protected at airport security.
The Airport Security Tray scam:
At airport security across the globe you need to take out items. Before going through the metal detector, full body scanner or wandings, empty your pockets. Put all items, including your cellphone, loose cash, sometimes a watch, in a tray. Also add keys, passport, laptop, etc., which go through the carry-on x-ray unit.
Loose items are therefore ripe for theft by scammers, often working in pairs. One somehow stalls the security line, while the other scammer steals those loose items in the trays. In large airports, it’s impossible to catch them once they’re gone with your valuables. Perhaps they leave with your entire carry-on bag.
I wear a photographer’s vest while traveling.
There are companies that manufacture travel vests with multiple secure pockets. securitBefore getting to airport security, I place everything I’ll need in a tray and once I’m ID’d at the start of the security checkpoint, the remainder of my loose items go into the vest, all in closed zippered pockets. I put the vest in a bin with a bag. While a thief could walk away with the vest and bag, having nothing showing or loose is a major theft deterrent.
When traveling with someone, let them go through the scan first, then when cleared, put through their belongings and yours so they will be able to watch it carefully to prevent theft for you both while you’re scanned.
Don’t be a victim. These scams can be generally avoided with common sense.
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After many years working in corporate America as a chemical engineer, executive and eventually CFO of a multinational manufacturer, Ned founded a tech consulting company and later restarted NSL Photography, his photography business. Before entering the corporate world, Ned worked as a Public Health Engineer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. As a well known corporate, travel and wildlife photographer, Ned travels the world writing about travel and photography, as well as running photography workshops, seminars and photowalks. Visit Ned’s Photography Blog and Galleries.
