How to avoid fraud when planning your summer travel [Q&A]

As summer travel plans ramp up, so do concerns around identity theft, fraud, and safety – especially as travelers engage with everything from airlines to Airbnbs, ride shares to public Wi-Fi.

We spoke to Bala Kumar, chief technology and product officer at Jumio, to discuss the AI-powered scams threatening enterprises' customers this summer, and how businesses can ensure safe, secure, and efficient identity verification.

BN: Summer travel is about to surge, but so are scams. What are some of the identity fraud tactics you’re seeing fraudsters use against travelers and travel-related enterprises right now?

BK: We’re seeing the industrialization of fraud at a scale we haven’t observed before. Organized fraud rings are now using tactics like camera injection attacks and synthetic identities to impersonate real travelers or even create entirely fictitious ones. Voice cloning is also becoming a significant concern. I actually recommend travelers update their voicemail greetings to a default robotic message. This is because even a short soundbite can be used by fraudsters to replicate your voice for scams. We're no longer in the era of amateur fraud -- these are professional, AI-powered operations running at scale.

BN: Digital IDs and biometric check-ins are becoming more common at airports, hotels, and rental services. How can we ensure these technologies actually increase trust and security without adding friction to the traveler experience?

BK: To strike the right balance, organizations should adopt risk-based identity verification workflows that tailor security measures to the level of risk presented. For most travelers, identity can be verified with minimal steps, while high-risk scenarios, such as mismatched personal data or unusual device activity, can trigger additional checks. This context-based adaptive approach enables enterprises to uphold strong security standards without slowing down the vast majority of users.

New Jumio research shows why getting this balance right matters: over the majority of global consumers said they’d be willing to spend more time on identity verification if it resulted in greater security. This underscores a growing user expectation: people will tolerate a slightly longer process if they know their identity is being protected effectively.

Building trust also requires transparency and control. Travelers should know how their digital identity is used, stored, and protected. Incorporating biometric liveness detection, ensuring data encryption, and aligning with privacy regulations helps create a secure environment that respects user rights.

BN: With mobile check-ins and digital bookings increasing, the travel industry risks greater transaction abandonment rates of any sector. How does Jumio help travel brands reduce booking abandonment while maintaining strong identity verification?

BK: A recent study found that 69 percent of consumers say AI-powered fraud now poses a greater threat to personal security than traditional forms of identity theft. Confidence in online authenticity is eroding amid growing fears of manipulated content and AI-driven deception. This level of anxiety puts pressure on travel brands to secure digital interactions without sacrificing ease of use.

As mobile-first experiences continue to shape the future of travel, transaction abandonment has become a growing challenge, particularly at critical points like booking and check-in. Many travelers abandon bookings online, often due to overly complex forms, poor mobile UX, or time-consuming verification steps. For travel brands, the stakes are high: every delay in onboarding risks revenue loss and eroded customer trust.

We help travel brands reduce abandonment by delivering fast, seamless, and secure identity verification tailored for digital and mobile environments. Instead of traditional manual processes, our platform uses AI, biometrics, and advanced liveness detection to verify users in seconds, not minutes, even when booking from a phone. Its risk signals engine silently evaluates key data points such as email, IP, device, and phone number across 500+ data sources to assess risk in the background, triggering additional steps only when needed. This approach applies friction only where it’s justified, keeping the experience smooth for the vast majority of legitimate users.

BN: As regulatory mandates evolve, what should travel industry leaders know about compliance requirements -- and how can identity verification technology help meet them without slowing down passengers?

BK: As the global regulatory landscape continues to shift, travel industry leaders must remain vigilant about emerging compliance requirements -- particularly those tied to Know Your Customer (KYC), Anti-Money Laundering (AML), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and age verification laws in markets like the US and EU. With digital transactions and remote bookings becoming the norm, regulators are increasingly focused on how personal data is collected, verified, stored and used throughout the customer journey.

One of the key challenges in the travel sector is achieving regulatory compliance without introducing friction at critical customer touchpoints, such as mobile check-ins, airport kiosks, or hotel bookings. This is where modern identity verification technology plays a pivotal role. Today’s solutions go far beyond simple document scanning, incorporating AI-powered risk assessment, biometric authentication, and real-time liveness detection to verify a traveler's identity quickly and securely.

Many platforms now offer dynamic identity workflows that apply the right level of scrutiny based on risk signals, such as unusual device behavior, location mismatches, or inconsistent personal details. This risk-based approach ensures that low-risk users can be fast-tracked, while higher-risk cases receive the necessary checks to meet regulatory expectations.

BN: How do you see the role of biometrics evolving in the future of global travel, and what safeguards should be in place to ensure this data remains private and protected?

BK: Biometrics are quickly becoming foundational to the future of global travel, enabling faster, contactless experiences from airport security and customs to hotel check-ins and boarding gates. Initiatives like the International Air Transport Association’s One ID and the ICAO’s Digital Travel Credential highlight the push toward a seamless, biometric-enabled journey where travelers can move through checkpoints using a single, verified identity.

For travel providers, the goal is to balance convenience with accountability. Biometrics can drive faster, more secure experiences, but long-term success depends on building public trust. Travelers must feel confident that their data is protected, used responsibly, and not retained unnecessarily. When implemented with the right safeguards, biometrics will help redefine global travel as not just smoother, but safer.

Image credit: JESHOOTS.COM/Unsplash