The sites, which can be found through search engines such as Google and Yahoo, entice their victims to book flights at discounted prices. However, as soon as the card details are entered, an error message appears and the information is 'sent' to cyber-criminals.
Luis Corrons, director of PandaLabs, the research arm of Panda Software, said this type of fraudulent behaviour is new because the cyber-crooks are not looking for victims, instead, they wait for the users to find them.
"The malicious user does not contact the person interested in buying the product, but it is actually the buyer, in searching for the best prices online, who goes to the fraudulent Web page. This creates a false sense of security that can lead users to proceed with the transaction," said Corrons.
Corrons advises users to treat bargains with caution and only make transactions on 'trusted sites'.
"If in doubt, it is a good idea to search for information about the Web site in question on the Internet. Users should be able to find opinions and experiences of other users who have used the same service," said Corrons.
