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AI Fuels Rise in Travel Scams, Warns Booking.com

Booking.com warns of rising travel scams fueled by AI, urging two-factor authentication and vigilance against phishing attacks.
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Booking.com, a popular website for booking travel, is warning people about a rise in travel scams that are using artificial intelligence (AI). These scams trick people into giving away their financial information. The scammers send fake links that look real, and they target websites like Booking.com and Airbnb because they let people list their own places to stay. The scammers either take the money and disappear or try to get more money from the person later. AI makes these scams harder to spot because it can create realistic images and text in different languages.

To protect yourself from these scams, Marnie Wilking from Booking.com suggests using two-factor authentication. This means you have to do an extra security check, like putting in a code that gets sent to your phone. She also says to be careful when clicking on links. Even though AI is causing more scams, Booking.com is using it to find and remove fake hotels quickly. They use AI to stop the scams before anyone books anything.

Jane Hawkes, an expert on consumers, says that travel companies should do more to tell people about these scams and give advice on how to avoid them. She also suggests doing lots of research, checking for contact details on websites, and booking package holidays instead of separate flights and places to stay. Using a credit card for bookings can also give you more protection.

In summary, Booking.com is warning people about more travel scams because of AI. These scams trick people into giving away their money by sending fake links. Using two-factor authentication and being careful with links can help protect you. Booking.com is using AI to find and remove fake hotels. Travel companies should do more to educate people about these scams, and individuals should do research and consider booking package holidays and using credit cards for extra protection.

Original news source: Booking.com warns of up to 900% increase in travel scams (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

πŸ“– Vocabulary:

1. scams
2. artificial intelligence
3. financial
4. authentication
5. scammers
6. realistic
7. consumers
8. protection
9. research
10. package
11. security
12. disappear
13. contact
14. expert
15. educate

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will read the article and write a summary of the main points. They should focus on the rise of travel scams using AI, the methods scammers use, and the precautions suggested by Booking.com and Jane Hawkes. After writing their summaries, students can share them with the class and compare their answers.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group will discuss their opinions on the topic of travel scams and AI. They should consider questions such as: Do you think AI makes scams harder to spot? Should travel companies do more to educate people about these scams? What precautions do you personally take when booking travel online? After discussing, each group will present their opinions to the class and engage in a class-wide discussion.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on separate pieces of paper. Divide the class into small groups and give each group a set of vocabulary words. Each group will take turns selecting a word and drawing a picture to represent it. The other groups will try to guess the word based on the drawing. After each round, the groups can switch words and continue playing.
– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Choose important keywords from the article and write the number of letters in each word on the board, replacing the actual letters with underscores. Divide the class into two teams. One team will choose a word and the other team will guess letters to try and fill in the blanks. If a guessed letter is correct, it will be placed in the correct position. If a guessed letter is incorrect, a body part will be added to the hangman drawing. The teams will take turns until either the word is guessed or the hangman is completed.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs, students will discuss and make predictions about the future of travel scams and AI. They should consider questions such as: How do you think scammers will adapt to new technologies? Will AI become more effective in detecting scams? How will travel companies and individuals protect themselves in the future? After discussing their predictions, students can share their ideas with the class and engage in a class-wide discussion.

πŸ€” Comprehension Questions:

1. What is Booking.com warning people about?

2. How do these travel scams trick people into giving away their financial information?

3. Why do scammers target websites like Booking.com and Airbnb?

4. How does artificial intelligence make these scams harder to spot?

5. What does Marnie Wilking from Booking.com suggest people do to protect themselves from these scams?

6. How is Booking.com using AI to combat these scams?

7. What does Jane Hawkes, an expert on consumers, suggest people do to avoid these scams?

8. Why should individuals consider booking package holidays and using credit cards for extra protection?

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Booking.com, a popular for booking travel, is warning people about a rise in travel that are using artificial intelligence (AI). These scams trick people into away their financial information. The scammers send fake links that look real, and they target like Booking.com and Airbnb because they let people list their own places to stay. The scammers either take the money and disappear or try to get more money from the person later. AI makes these scams harder to spot because it can create realistic images and text in different languages. To protect yourself from these scams, Marnie Wilking from Booking.com suggests two-factor . This means you have to do an extra security check, like putting in a code that gets sent to your phone. She also says to be careful when on links. Even though AI is more scams, Booking.com is using it to find and remove fake hotels quickly. They use AI to stop the scams before anyone books anything. Jane Hawkes, an on consumers, says that travel companies should do more to tell people about these scams and give advice on how to avoid them. She also suggests doing lots of research, for details on websites, and package holidays instead of separate flights and places to stay. Using a credit card for bookings can also give you more protection. In summary, Booking.com is warning people about more travel scams because of AI. These scams trick people into giving away their money by sending fake . Using two-factor authentication and being careful with links can help protect you. Booking.com is using AI to find and fake hotels. Travel companies should do more to educate people about these scams, and individuals should do and booking package holidays and using credit cards for extra protection.

πŸ’¬ Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever booked a trip or accommodation online? How was your experience?
2. What is artificial intelligence (AI)? Can you think of any other examples of how AI is used in everyday life?
3. How would you feel if you were tricked by a travel scam and lost your money? What would you do in that situation?
4. Do you think two-factor authentication is an effective way to protect yourself from scams? Why or why not?
5. Have you ever received a suspicious email or message with a fake link? How did you handle it?
6. What do you think travel companies can do to better inform people about travel scams? Why is it important for them to do so?
7. How do you usually research and plan your trips? Do you think doing more research can help prevent scams? Why or why not?
8. What are some advantages of booking package holidays instead of separate flights and accommodations? Have you ever booked a package holiday before?
9. Do you feel more confident using a credit card for bookings? Why or why not?
10. Have you ever encountered any fake hotels or accommodations while booking online? How did you realize they were fake?
11. How do you think AI can be used to stop travel scams? Can you think of any other ways AI can be used to improve travel experiences?
12. Do you think travel scams are a big problem? Why or why not? Have you or anyone you know ever been a victim of a travel scam?
13. How important is it for individuals to be aware of travel scams and take precautions? What precautions do you usually take when booking online?
14. Can you think of any other tips or advice to avoid travel scams? Share your ideas and explain why you think they would be effective.
15. What are your thoughts on the role of technology in the travel industry? Do you think it has more advantages or disadvantages? Why?

Individual Activities

πŸ“–πŸ’­ Vocabulary Meanings:

Click a dot next to a word, then click the dot next to its meaning to draw a line connecting them.

Words

1. scams
2. artificial intelligence
3. financial
4. authentication
5. scammers
6. realistic
7. consumers
8. protection
9. research
10. package
11. security
12. disappear
13. contact
14. expert
15. educate

Meanings

(A) Tricks to cheat people out of money or personal information
(B) Technology that makes machines smart and able to do tasks that usually need human intelligence
(C) Measures taken to keep something safe from danger or harm
(D) People who cheat others to get money or personal information
(E) Information that allows you to get in touch with someone
(F) A person with a lot of knowledge or skill in a particular area
(G) To teach or inform someone about something
(H) Related to money or how money is managed
(I) Very close to real; almost like the real thing
(J) Keeping someone or something safe from harm or danger
(K) A process to confirm that someone is who they say they are
(L) A set of items or services sold together as a single unit
(M) People who buy and use products or services
(N) Careful study to find out more about something
(O) To vanish or go away completely

πŸ”‘ Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why is Booking.com warning people about travel scams?
(a) Because they want to promote their website
(b) Because the scams are using artificial intelligence (AI)
(c) Because they want to scare people from traveling
(d) Because they want to increase their profits
2. How do these travel scams trick people?
(a) By offering discounted travel packages
(b) By sending spam emails
(c) By pretending to be famous travel companies
(d) By sending fake links that look real
3. Which websites are commonly targeted by these scams?
(a) Booking.com and Airbnb
(b) Facebook and Instagram
(c) Amazon and eBay
(d) Google and Yahoo
4. How does AI make these scams harder to spot?
(a) It can predict when someone will fall for a scam
(b) It can hack into people's bank accounts
(c) It can create realistic images and text in different languages
(d) It can send spam emails to millions of people
5. What does Marnie Wilking from Booking.com suggest to protect yourself from these scams?
(a) Avoiding travel altogether
(b) Sharing your financial information with strangers
(c) Using two-factor authentication
(d) Clicking on every link you receive
6. What does Jane Hawkes suggest travel companies should do?
(a) Increase their prices to cover potential losses from scams
(b) Tell people about these scams and give advice on how to avoid them
(c) Stop using artificial intelligence
(d) Close down their websites
7. What does Jane Hawkes suggest individuals should do to protect themselves?
(a) Share their financial information with strangers
(b) Book separate flights and places to stay
(c) Use cash instead of credit cards for bookings
(d) Do lots of research and check for contact details on websites
8. How is Booking.com using AI to combat these scams?
(a) By finding and removing fake hotels quickly
(b) By sending fake links to scammers
(c) By tricking scammers into giving away their financial information
(d) By promoting these scams to increase their profits

πŸ•΅οΈ True or False Questions:

Booking.com is a popular website for booking travel.
Jane Hawkes, an expert on consumers, believes that travel companies should provide more information and advice on how to avoid these scams.
Marnie Wilking from Airbnb suggests using two-factor authentication to protect yourself from these risks.
Booking package holidays and using cash for bookings can provide extra protection against travel scams.
AI makes these scams harder to detect because it can create realistic images and text in multiple languages.
Scammers target websites like Booking.com and Airbnb because they do not allow people to list their own places to stay.
Booking.com uses AI to quickly find and remove fake hotels before anyone books anything.
The decrease in travel scams is due to the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

πŸ“ Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Check your writing now with the best free AI for English writing!

Writing Questions:

1. What is Booking.com warning people about?
2. How do scammers trick people into giving away their financial information?
3. What is two-factor authentication and how can it help protect you from scams?
4. How is Booking.com using AI to combat fake hotels?
5. What suggestions does Jane Hawkes give to avoid travel scams?

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