Malindo Air alerts consumers of fake website, plans to file police report

Malindo Air has warned public of a website selling Malindo Air tickets illegally via flymalindoairways.com. The airline said that the illegal website was found selling its air tickets via a dubious payment gateway that has not been registered with the airline’s system and all purchases made through the impersonator’s website are not captured in the airline’s database.

"Malindo Air would like to advise the public to be wary over fake reservation platforms and ensure that ticket booking is done via Malindo Air’s official website and registered online travel agencies only," the airline said. It has also filed an official report to the Malaysian Computer Emergency Response Team and a police report is also underway.

Malindo Air is not the only airline to fall prey to such tactics. Over the past few years, Malaysia Airlines (MAB), AirAsia and Singapore Airlines (SIA) have also become victims of scams. In June in this year, MAB warned consumers about a fake website that appeared following a search of "Malaysia Airlines" via Google. According to the airline, customers were directed to the fake website with incorrect fares after searching for the company's name. Meanwhile last April, AirAsia warned consumers not to engage with an online scam circulating via email with the subject title "AirAsia Big Loyalty Bonus". They were also urged to be cautious and always refer to the airline's official website and social media channels for the latest company news, activities or promotions.

Across the border, SIA also alerted customers of a fake website offering free air tickets in return for personal details. In a Facebook statement, the airline said the scam requests for customers to enter his/her personal details to receive free air tickets, as part of a lucky draw contest. The airline advised customers to "exercise discretion" when revealing personal data to unverified sources.

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