El Al passengers warned of fraudulent scheme
Cybersecurity firm BrandShield has reported a sharp increase in domains linked to airlines and hotels that could be used for phishing. Over the past year, such domains around Delta grew by 77%, around Hilton by 122%, and around El Al by about 19% in three months. Scammers also impersonate El Al representatives on Facebook, responding to customers who publicly report issues. Experts advise checking website addresses and avoiding links in messages.
Israeli cybersecurity company BrandShield has warned of a sharp rise in domains associated with well-known airlines and hotels that could be used for phishing. Over the past year, the number of such domains around Delta Air Lines grew by 77%: in August 2025, 1,421 domain names were registered, and in July 2026, 2,517, with a record 2,815 domains in June. Hilton saw a 122% increase, from 156 domains in August last year to 347 in July this year. Around El Al, the number of domains rose by about 19% in three months, from 892 in April to 1,059 in July. In addition to phishing sites, scammers impersonate El Al support staff on Facebook, responding to users who publicly report booking issues. BrandShield CEO Yoav Keren noted that periods of high travel demand become fertile ground for attacks and urged people to verify website addresses and avoid clicking links in messages. Experts advise not to trust unverified social media accounts, to open official websites directly, and to be wary of prices that seem too low.