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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Hilary Osborne

‘DM your details’: Travellers warned of scam airline accounts as Iran war disrupts flights

A view of a digital board showing a cancelled Qatar Airways flight in Terminal 2 at Frankfurt airport 02 March 2026
The number of fake airline accounts have increased, particularly those purporting to belong to Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways. Photograph: Ronald Wittek/EPA

Your flight has been delayed as a result of the Middle East crisis and you want to find out what’s happening, so you go online for an answer. You find a social media account run by the airline you are booked with and post a question, and get a reply offering help.

You’re asked to send a direct message with details, which seems reasonable. A conversation starts and you are told to give your phone number as you may be due compensation. This is where it all starts going wrong: instead of being given money, you have it taken. Although it looked official, the account that replied was a scam.

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