Trading Standards - Travel Scams: Middle East Crisis

19th March 2026

Travellers who have had flights delayed or cancelled due to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East are being warned that scammers are setting up fake airline accounts on social media.

Several customers have messaged these fraudulent accounts, believing that they were talking to genuine customer service staff from the airline.

They were asked to provide their phone number or email address and told they may be due compensation.

They were then phoned or emailed by a scammer posing as airline staff, who asked for their bank details to process a refund.

Some of the fake accounts include links to an ‘Online Help Hub’. These links actually lead to phishing websites, where scammers will attempt to obtain customers' personal and banking details.

So far there have been reports of accounts posing as Etihad, Qatar Airways, Emirates and British Airways.
Here is a list of the legitimate websites for these companies:
Etihad: https://www.etihad.com/en/help
Qatar Airways: https://www.qatarairways.com/en-gb/travel-alerts.html
Emirates: https://www.emirates.com/uk/english/help/
British Airways: https://www.britishairways.com/content/information/travel-news
How to Avoid
Only contact airlines and travel companies using details you've verified independently. If you are not sure whether a social media account using the name of a company or organisation is legitimate, check their official website.
Fake accounts will usually have a small number of followers and their posts/messages may include a lot of spelling and grammar errors.

In general, genuine customer service agents will initially only ask for a booking reference or flight number, not phone numbers or other contact details.

If you have given any details to a scammer, such as your email address, change the password on your account.

Contact your bank immediately if you think you may have made a payment to a scammer or if you are worried that a fraudulent transaction has been made from your account.

Find out more
Find the latest travel advice from the Foreign Office: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-office-travel-advice-updates
Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/mar/15/travel-scam-airline-accounts-fake-refunds-iran-war-flight-disruption
Money Saving Expert: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2026/03/middle-east-conflict-travel-rights

Information about your rights if your flight has been cancelled:
Advice Direct Scotland have a huge amount of information and advice about your consumer rights in their online Knowledge Centre: https://consumeradvice.scot/knowledge-centre/
You can also phone their advisors on 0808 164 6000 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)

ABTA - The Travel Association - https://www.abta.com/news/advice-middle-east-travel-disruption

Citizens Advice Scotland - www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/consumer

Which? - www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/travel

Civil Aviation Authority - www.caa.co.uk/passengers-and-public/resolving-travel-problems/delays-and-cancellations/cancellations/