Description

I am submitting this complaint to document a scam in which an individual misrepresented themselves as an Alaska Airlines representative and charged my credit card under false pretenses. I purchased a first-class Alaska Airlines ticket through Expedia for travel from San Diego to Atlanta. I couldn't sleep the morning of my flight, so I got up around 1:30 am. I checked my phone, and I had received an early check-in notice. When I went to check in, I noticed my name was misspelled on the reservation. I attempted to contact Alaska Airlines to correct the error and called a phone number I believed to be an Alaska Airlines reservations line. The individual I spoke with stated that the ticket needed to be reissued and told me I would need to pay a first-class fare of $2,588.00 in order to do so. I questioned this charge and was assured repeatedly that the amount would be immediately refunded and that the system required the charge in order to reissue the ticket. I was told my seat and confirmation number would remain the same. Because I was flying for an emergency and my flight was only hours away, I felt pressured and provided my credit card information. I had originally planned to visit my daughter and grandson beginning December 19 during my school district’s winter break. However, I had to reserve my flight my and fly a week earlier because my daughter had just started a new job and urgently needed assistance with childcare, as she was unable to take time off. This made it critical that I arrive on time for my scheduled flight. I then received an email stating that a refund from “Alaska Airlines” had been processed. The email originated from [email protected] which I later learned is not associated with Alaska Airlines. After not receiving an updated boarding pass as promised, I contacted the number on the email, 301-701-6139 but no one answered. I was very worried and started to believe maybe I was scammed. Since I was on the Alaska Airlines app checking for an updated boarding pass, I contacted Alaska Airlines directly through the official Alaska Airlines app. Alaska Airlines confirmed that there is no fee to correct a name misspelling, had no record of the prior call, and stated that the email I received did not originate from them. Alaska Airlines corrected my ticket immediately at no cost, and I was able to board my flight. I called my bank member hotline to report this, but it was after hours. Once I contacted my bank, the transaction was pending. I told the bank rep what happened, and she told me it was a hold. The following day, the $2,588.00 charge was posted to my credit card account. The merchant name on the charge appeared as “Travel Back” and included a phone number that was missing two digits, making it impossible to contact the merchant directly. My bank has since confirmed this was a scam transaction and is investigating. I have submitted all documentation to my bank, frozen my credit reports, and filed a report with IC3.gov. This complaint is submitted to create a public record and to warn other consumers about fraudulent individuals posing as airline representatives during time-sensitive travel situations.