Summer vacation season is thankfully here, and Americans are doing what they always do this time of year. They are hunting for flight deals, browsing third-party hotel sites, and trying to squeeze in some travel without blowing the budget. But while folks are clipping costs to make a trip happen, scammers are also hard at work. And according to a new report from McAfee, they are having a pretty good summer.
The cybersecurity company has released its 2025 Safer Summer Travel Report, and the results are not pretty. One out of every five Americans has been scammed while booking a vacation. Some lost a few bucks, but others lost hundreds or even thousands. It turns out that online travel deals are not always what they seem.
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McAfee says that 13 percent of those who got scammed lost more than $500. Five percent lost over $1,000. That is not just a frustrating hiccup. That is an entire trip wiped out before the bags even get packed.
Younger travelers are especially vulnerable. That might sound surprising, but the data backs it up. A large portion of Gen Z and young millennials are falling for fake booking links and manipulated travel photos. It is not that they do not know how to use the internet. It is that today’s scams are designed to look legitimate. Some even use artificial intelligence to generate fake confirmations and picture-perfect destinations that do not actually exist.
According to McAfee, 21 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds have clicked fake confirmation links. About 10 percent of people aged 25 to 34 were tricked by travel images that had been altered to look real. That is a problem, especially when almost 60 percent of Americans say they still trust third-party travel sites as much as booking directly.
The risks get worse around big events. About 30 percent of Americans plan to attend a major sporting event this summer, and 6 in 10 of them are worried about being scammed when trying to buy tickets or book lodging. When time is short and deals seem scarce, it is easy to make a quick decision and get burned.
Scammers are targeting travelers through fake booking sites, phony confirmations, QR codes that lead to phishing pages, and even deepfaked vacation photos. McAfee found that nearly 10 percent of people surveyed had entered credit card information on a fake site without realizing it. Some were tricked into reserving hotel rooms or rental homes that never existed. Others were led to spoofed checkout pages and ended up giving away sensitive financial information.
While promoting the report, McAfee did what companies usually do. It pitched its own solution. The company recommends using its Scam Detector software to help identify risky links and suspicious communications. It also offers standard tips like avoiding public Wi-Fi, verifying tour operators, and carrying a backup battery to avoid being stuck without access to your device.
The part about fake QR codes is worth noting. As these codes become more common in restaurants, airports, and tourist hotspots, scammers have started printing their own and placing them in high-traffic areas. A quick scan could take you somewhere you did not intend to go.
There is also the issue of what people share online. Posting travel updates in real time can alert criminals that you are away from home. McAfee suggests waiting until you return before uploading photos or location check-ins. It is a simple step, but it can protect both your home and your identity.
The findings in this report come from a February 2025 survey of more than 7,000 adults across the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, India, Japan, and Australia. This is not just a domestic problem. It is global. And it is growing.
Americans are spending less on daily expenses to fund summer trips. Some are skipping meals out or delaying home upgrades. But in doing so, they are also becoming more sensitive to low prices, and that creates the perfect storm for scammers. The desire to save money makes a tempting offer feel more believable.
In the end, staying safe while traveling is not just about checking into the right hotel or booking the best tour. It is about slowing down, reading the fine print, and not trusting every link that hits your inbox. Whether or not you use McAfee’s tools, these scams are real. They are costing people real money. And they are not going away any time soon.
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