Flying in cyberspace: Policing global travel fraud

Abstract

Airline tickets that have been obtained illicitly represent a truly global crime. The travel industry and law enforcement have been attempting to address travel fraud for some time. Airline tickets can be obtained using various cybercrime methods. They are traded and advertised on online blackmarkets and through fraudulent travel agencies. This research is qualitative in nature, informed by interviews with law enforcement and industry stakeholders, as well as the analysis of a marketplace where fraudulently obtained tickets are traded. This research considers: the nature of the criminal market for fraudulently obtained tickets, the involvement of co-offending and organized crime, the geographic nature of travel fraud, and the ways in which those supplying fraudulently obtained tickets try to avoid detection. Also considered is how the nature of travel fraud has changed over time, ways in which it may continue to change, and the challenges faced by law enforcement.