Beware of travel search engines. Apparent fraud.

[Mike Fewster]

Search engines for flights associated with Travelgenio. I have just had what appears to be a fraudulent debit from this company. I came after I had checked, but not booked flights. I immediately contacted my bank and stopped the payment. Googling for the company name I found that a lot of other users have also had similar problems with this company. I can't see how they got my card details but clearly they did. I had done a couple of searches for flights from Paris to Doha. The search sites (I tried a few) used multiple search engines to find the results and so I can't tell which search engine is the fraudulent one. My bank is investigating. When the debit was checked it showed the claim was made by Travelgenio. They are a Spanish company owned by an Argentinian.

 

[puppysparkes]

Mike, what sites were 'associated' with Travelgenio? Has your pc or laptop been compromised, root kit or key board logger installed?

 

[Mike Fewster]

I can't quite tell. I was searching for flights and hit a few of the "find cheap flights" type sites. Each of these started multiple search engines to give flights. They didn't use the word "Travelgenio" as far as I remember. I only came across the word "Travelgenio" when I tried to find the company that had debited my account. I have quite a few search sites for travel. I'll go back through them carefully to try to retrace this. I have pretty good (AVG) protection on my computer and nothing so far indicates that my computer has been compromised, but I will do more scans.
At the time I was looking for flights, I said to me wife that I thought the results looked odd and I thought we might be better just booking through an airline directly, which we did. I don't thionk it has anything to do at all with the airline where I finally made my bookings (I didn't get to the airline through a "search" portal.)
I note strings of complaints from others who have tried to make bookings through companies associated with "Travelgenio"

 

[Mike Fewster]

Further developments.
I have found that Travelgenio is a flight search site. I must have got there via one of the search engines I had used. Travelgenio has an email response address
I have emailed them asking for clarification as to why and how my account was debited. I will post any response I get here.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The puzzling thing is how did they get your credit card details? If you only checked flights, that requires no CC input? So if they have obtained your number it's a worry. Maybe you'll need to cancel your credit card outright and get new ones?

 

[Mike Fewster]

Hi Mel. I agree. I immediately contacted my bank (CBA). My card is cancelled and they are looking into it.
I have done further searches on Travelgenio and have found complaint after complaint with many people saying the site is a swindle.

 

[Mal]

Websites don't just get credit card details. Either you provided them somewhere during a transaction with them, or your card was compromised elsewhere and used on the site (your searches are just coincidentally around the same time).

Let your bank investigate and they'll provide you with a new card and charge back the cost.

 

[Pushka]

Agree with others. Just searching on a site wont compromise your credit card.

 

[OzEire]

OP did u search for flights on the questionable sites (acknowledged that you didn't know they were at the time) and then book directly with the airline (putting in CC details) in the same browsing session ? Possibly with the dodgy site open in a window or tab to compare the prices ?

Browser can run active content across all tabs and windows. These are less likely to be detected by anti-virus because you activated the site.

Even if you close a dodgy tab, it may have started some process which continues in the background until the entire session is complete (or even until a restart). This type is more likely to be detected due to unusual behaviour.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Was the cc used saved as the payment used for apps purchases via Google Play?

 

[Mike Fewster]

OP did u search for flights on the questionable sites (acknowledged that you didn't know they were at the time) and then book directly with the airline (putting in CC details) in the same browsing session ? Possibly with the dodgy site open in a window or tab to compare the prices ?

Browser can run active content across all tabs and windows. These are less likely to be detected by anti-virus because you activated the site.

Even if you close a dodgy tab, it may have started some process which continues in the background until the entire session is complete (or even until a restart). This type is more likely to be detected due to unusual behaviour.

That's possible. I made and paid for the booking with Qatar air on their site about 30 minutes after my original search. I have received booking confirmation from Qatar and my bank shows that this was paid for. The Qatar payment is for a quite different amount from that debited by Travelgenio. I don't believe the issue has anything to do with Qatar.
Out of curiosity today I went to the Travelgenio site and tried to reproduce the search that caused the problems. I felt safe doing this as my credit card is now cancelled. I found the flights again but the prices shown are not remotely like the debit I received and so there is no chance that I accidentally made a booking. (Fortunately the debit is for considerably less than the cost of two seats on the flight.)
I had gone beyond just looking at the site's list of flights. I had selected one and pressed the button for more details as I wanted to see if there were taxes etc still to be added to the quoted cost. I did not proceed to then book the flight (and if I had, the sum would have been considerably different to the amount I was debited.)

 

[Mike Fewster]

OP did u search for flights on the questionable sites (acknowledged that you didn't know they were at the time) and then book directly with the airline (putting in CC details) in the same browsing session ? Possibly with the dodgy site open in a window or tab to compare the prices ?

Browser can run active content across all tabs and windows. These are less likely to be detected by anti-virus because you activated the site.

Even if you close a dodgy tab, it may have started some process which continues in the background until the entire session is complete (or even until a restart). This type is more likely to be detected due to unusual behaviour.

I think this is quite possible. I made the booking directly with Qatar about 30 minutes after my original search. The tab may still have been open. After my initial search, I clicked on the "More information" button for the flight I was interested in to see if there were further charges. Apart from the issue of how they got my card from this, the point is that this company debited my account for a sum that had nothing to do with any booking. This appears to be completely fraudulent. Yesterday (after my card was cancelled) I again went to the site and attempted the same search. I got the same flights and prices as per my initial search. These prices bear no relation to the debit on my card. Neither have I received any notification from the company in receipt for payment for any service. Neither have I received responses to my emails to them on the matter.
If you go searching for other experience from other travellers with this company, many others also report serious issues.

 

[Mike Fewster]

I have received no response from Travelgenio at all. I therefore conclude that the company is indeed fraudulent and everyone should avoid using them.

 

[Mattg]

Have you tried contacting travelgenio on social media (e.g. Facebook)?

 

[Mike Fewster]

No, I have only tried through the contact info provided on their site. I have received no answer.

 

[Mattg]

No, I have only tried through the contact info provided on their site. I have received no answer.

Try contacting them on Facebook. They seem to be responding to complaints on their Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/travelgenio

 

[Mike Fewster]

Thank you. I will follow that up. If I get a response I will post it here.

 

[JohnK]

Have you tried contacting travelgenio on social media (e.g. Facebook)?

Isn't AFF also social media?