The fake FAA alert I caught at 2am in the Phoenix terminal

I was waiting for a red-eye in terminal 4 when my phone pinged with an 'FAA ground stop' alert, complete with official logos and a link to reschedule. Something felt off because the airport screens weren't updating and the TSA line stayed normal, so I checked the FAA's actual site on my laptop and found no such notice. Turned out the link went to a phishing page that wanted my boarding pass info, and I watched a guy next to me almost enter his passport number before I grabbed his arm. I told the airport police and they said they'd seen three similar reports that week, all spoofing the same alert. Have any of you run into fake emergency alerts that look too official to question?

2 comments

2 Comments

laura_black2d ago

Wait, the passport number? That's insane. Who asks for that in a flight alert? I mean, I get the boarding pass thing being a scam, but passport info is next level. That guy owes you big time. I've seen sketchy texts about deliveries and stuff, but nothing this slick. Scary how real it must have looked. Glad you caught it before he hit send.

spencer_gonzalez12d ago

Passport numbers are the new credit cards for these guys. Once they have that plus your name, they can wreck way more than a bank account. Good on you for trusting your gut and checking the real site first.