Travel agencies stop invoice and payment fraud by combining strong email security and multi-factor authentication with a strict, enforced process for verifying any bank-detail change out of band, backed by application allowlisting and regular staff training. For most agencies this is part of managed IT at about £45 to £100 per user per month, and it is one of the most important defences the business has, because travel agencies are targeted relentlessly.
Agencies move supplier, refund and crew payments at predictable moments, which is exactly why criminals target them with business email compromise (BEC). Getting this right protects both your money and your clients’. Here is how.
What to ask a provider
A specialist for travel agencies should be able to answer:
- Have you supported travel agencies, hosted desktops and systems like Amadeus, Navitas, FareXpert or TRAMS before?
- How do you give office, remote and overseas staff secure, reliable access in any time zone?
- How do you protect us from invoice, supplier and crew payment fraud, and help with PCI DSS?
- What is your response time when a booking or payment is at risk, out of hours?
- Is the price clear and per user, with security included rather than charged separately?
Where to start
If you are not sure where your agency stands, a short review is the quickest way to find out: confirm multi-factor authentication is on for every account, including overseas machines, check that your booking systems and backups are properly managed and test-restored, confirm a strict bank-detail verification process is actually followed every time, and make sure only approved software can run. Those few steps remove most of the risk quickly and show where a properly managed, travel-aware setup pays off, before a busy booking period or a fraud attempt forces the issue.
Why travel agencies are targeted
Criminals know agencies handle a high volume of payments to airlines, hotels, suppliers and crew, often under time pressure. They watch email threads, wait for a real payment to be due, and send a convincing message, apparently from a supplier, a colleague or a client, asking that funds go to a new account. The constant stream of bank-change and payroll-update scam emails travel teams receive is no accident.
Verify bank details out of band, always
The single most important rule: never act on new or changed bank details received by email without verifying them through a separate, trusted channel, such as a known phone number. A clear, enforced process for confirming account details, applied every time without exception, stops most payment fraud before it starts.
Email security and multi-factor authentication
Managed email filtering blocks most phishing and impersonation attempts before they reach an inbox, and multi-factor authentication stops a stolen password from turning into a hijacked mailbox that can be used to launch fraud from inside. Together they remove the easiest routes in.
Application allowlisting and monitoring
Application allowlisting means only approved software can run, which stops the malware that can lead to account takeover, and monitoring or managed detection and response catches suspicious activity early. These reduce the chance that an attacker ever gets into a position to redirect a payment.
Train the people
People are part of the defence, so regular security awareness training and simulated phishing keep the team alert to spoofed suppliers and urgent payment requests. A confident team that knows to pause and verify is one of the most effective controls there is.
What good looks like
Done well, fraud attempts become routine and harmless: suspicious emails are filtered or flagged, staff verify any payment change as a matter of habit, and the controls behind them mean a single mistake is unlikely to become a loss. The agency keeps moving money quickly and safely, and can reassure clients it takes their funds seriously.
A real example
We support a travel agency that, like every agency, receives a steady stream of bank-change and payment scam emails. Managed email security, multi-factor authentication, allowlisting and a strict verification process work together so these attempts are caught and blocked, and the money keeps reaching the right accounts. That is what good fraud protection looks like in practice.
Why travel agencies choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including travel agencies and travel management companies, and we understand the systems a travel desk runs on: Amadeus, Navitas, FareXpert and TRAMS, delivered securely over hosted desktops, alongside Microsoft 365. We support travel businesses based in Essex, Hertfordshire and London with teams working worldwide. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we have been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support organisations with 10 to 100 employees across Essex, Hertfordshire and London, including teams working internationally.
Book a free IT and cyber security review
Want IT built around how a travel desk actually works? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT.