Preventing Travel Fraudsters from Flying into the Sunset

The new communications tools of the information age haven’t replaced business and leisure travel. Despite e-mails and videoconferences, air travel continues to grow. Airplanes carry both good and bad passengers and all of their airline transactions are stored in computers of the airlines and their reservation systems. Let’s review how fraud examiners can inspect air travel records to find incriminating evidence that can help nail flying fraudsters.

You can obtain reservation details, ticket copies, or simple confirmation of electronic ticketing from your corporate travel agent or internal department, and frequent flyer (FF) information from airlines’ customer service departments. The airlines may cooperate with you, they may want to clear their actions with their legal staffs, or they may first want to speak to your attorneys. You may need to use a specific release signed by the traveler, courts orders, subpoenas, or search warrants. (In the United States, at the least, you’ll have to abide by the provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.)

Tips on fraudulent activity can come from internal or external travel agencies, internal auditors or accountants, or from colleagues who have their suspicions.

Frequent Flier Records