'I'm a travel expert - you should never post a picture of your boarding pass online'
A boarding pass can reveal a whole lot more about flyers than most people realize, an expert has warned.
Posting pictures of your boarding pass on social media while abroad could create digital breadcrumbs for scammers, a cybersecurity expert has warned.
According to expert Amir Tarighat, boarding passes should be left out of all social interaction online as it could compromise the safety of flyers in several ways.
The CEO of cybersecurity firm Agency told USA Today: “People often think, like, ‘just this information isn’t enough to compromise (me), but that’s not how the attackers view that information."
Although it may seem like there is not a lot of information to glean from a boarding pass, they may supply a gateway to extremely private information.
Attackers “can very easily bring up the rest of the things they need to know about you from public records, like your date of birth, your address, phone number (or) email address," explained Tarighat.
The expert warned that travel information is frequently sold on the Dark Web and can be used to access bank accounts in some cases.
He added: “Frequent flyer miles are actually really easy to steal, and they kind of don’t have the same protection that banks have.”
The warning adds to previous advice from TikTok-famous flight attendant Brenda Orelus (@flihtbae.b), who never adds her location to social media posts while abroad.
The Miami-based aviation worker frequently shares her cabin crew etiquette tips online, where she warned that passengers often commit the mistake.
She explained that is most important to ensure your location is revealed while you’re still in the location in question as the information could come in handy to attackers.
“I would never post my location while I’m still there,” she said. “Unless there is security that is pre-arranged, like a meet and greet or something of that capacity.
“You’re not going to set me up. You know these cities better than I do.
“Nuh-huh. There are just too many variables that I’m not willing to risk. If I’m posing about it, don’t worry [...] I’m already gone.”
