After an Incident of Cybercrime came forward associated with Flight tickets cancellation scam, IndiGo Airlines issued a cautionary advisory, urging passengers not to share their PNR and contact details on public platforms, emphasising the critical importance of maintaining the confidentiality of such information, revealing that cybercriminals altered personal details and cancelled bookings.
A Noida-based software engineer named Nishith Chaturvedi, got involved in a scam, as his eight IndiGo tickets valued at Rs 72,600 got mysteriously cancelled. He was travelling from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi on January 7 and had booked eight tickets.
Nishith shared a screenshot of the web check-in process on social media platform X, tagging IndiGo. He asked "Why forced to web check in? If it is mandatory, why should I pay additional charges?"
"If auto-assignment stopped and I have 8 passengers on my PNR, why is the portal forcing me to pay an additional amount for all eight seats?" he added.
He mentioned that a conversation took place between the techie and an IndiGo representative over direct messages (DM), whose screenshots were also shared by him. Following that, Nishith had shared his PNR details with an IndiGo representative on the social media platform X via a private message.
As a result, He got an email from Cleartrip at 1:38 AM, mentioning that all eight tickets were cancelled. He, in frustration posted on X, "Without my confirmation or consent you can't cancel my ticket. Reinstate my ticket as my money is not for charity for your staff's mistake. @DGCAIndia @JM_Scindia my flight is in 6 hours and I am being harassed," he said in another post.
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IndiGo in a swift response said: "We have put forth our utmost effort to assist you, sir. We would recommend refraining from sharing personal details on social media. We look forward to the opportunity to welcome you on board for your future travel with us."
After looking into the details of the episode, IndiGo on Wednesday said the passenger was duped by cybercriminals. Thereafter, IndiGo informed Chaturvedi that his registered mobile number and email ID had been changed by someone, and they are investigating the case. The airline added that as a gesture of goodwill, it has offered the passenger a waiver of the cancellation fee on the original tickets.
Nishith Chaturvedi got a refund around 4 am and he eventually bought new tickets for Delhi. Despite IndiGo's denial of security lapses, he faced a potential cost of over Rs 72,000 for eight tickets, totaling around 1.5 lakhs. Frustrated, he questioned why he should pay extra for something not his fault but, due to time constraints, ended up purchasing new tickets while still continuing to seek a refund.
In a statement , IndiGo emphasised its adherence to industry-standard cybersecurity protocols and ongoing efforts to enhance them. The airline is actively addressing cyber threats, urging passengers to exercise caution and report any suspicious activities to its official channels.
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