Why not throw away your boarding pass and post a photo of it online?
Express reports on the risks associated with boarding passes and what to do with them.
Sometimes travelers post photos of boarding passes on social networks, but this can not be done: the documents contain a lot of confidential personal information.
Certified UK Government Communications Centre coach Lisa Forte explained that the barcode could be used to disclose information.
When scanning it, you can find the full name, date of birth, flight number, departure and destination airport, seat number and a six-digit PNR (Passenger Name Record) code, which contains information available through the booking section on the airline’s website.
Including details, details of any car rental or hotel reservation made through the airline, email address and phone number, the last four digits of the bank card used and information about who paid for the ticket.
It also contains data on the traveler’s disability or medical problems.
A barcode scanner can access all the data and then use it to cheat. Knowing the route, departure dates, preferences (for example, ordering a vegetarian meal), an attacker can create a phishing email pretending to be an airline and ask to click on a false link.
Ways to protect yourself from fraudsters
- When you throw away a used boarding pass, tear it into small pieces.
- If possible, use electronic boarding passes that no one except you and the airline has access to.
- Do not leave the root of the boarding pass on the plane, always put it in your clothes pocket or bag.
- Do not post photos of your boarding pass online.
Source: ria