MAUI, HAWAII: A couple from Lincoln, California, Megan and Kevin Morgan, who were trying to leave Hawaii amid the wildfires, reportedly got scammed by a fraudster posing as an airline employee.
Because of the fraudster, couple was stranded in the fire-engulfed state and had no choice but to spend thousands of dollars on new tickets.
Who are Megan and Kevin Morgan?
Megan and Kevin were vacationing in Hawaii with their eight-month-old son to celebrate their wedding anniversary when the wildfires broke out. Hurriedly, they contacted contacted Southwest Airlines to change their flight to an earlier date.
Speaking to CBS News, Megan recounted calling a number she found online. She called the number and shared their confirmation numbers. However, the man she spoke to on the call said it would cost $200 per person to change the flight.
"I'm like, 'No, no, no, there shouldn't be change fees. This is Southwest.' And he says, on the phone, 'I've told you four times now, this is how much it costs if you want to change it,'" she recalled.
Megan sensed something fishy and hung up without giving her credit card details. However, on checking their flight reservations, she discovered that their bookings had been canceled.
Megan realized she had spokent ot a scammer and not a genuine Southwest employee. Utilizing their confirmation numbers, the scammer used their credits to book a flight for someone else.
Did Megan and Kevin Morgan leave Hawaii?
Megan and Kevin were left in a dire situation as flights were full do to the situation. They were compelled to extend their stay by two additional nights and get new flights through Hawaiian Airlines, having to pay $3,400.
Though relieved they eventually returned home safely, the Morgans have decided to share their harrowing experience to raise awareness about this elaborate scam, hoping to prevent others from falling victim. The couple expressed their astonishment at the sophisticated nature of the scam, and their disclosure serves as a cautionary tale for unsuspecting travelers.
"I've never heard of this. I've never heard of this scam," Megan told CBS, adding, "I'm pretty aware of different ways people are scamming other people, but I have never heard of this and it's obviously very sophisticated."
Southwest Airlines responded in a statement that read, "We are disheartened to learn that a customer was taken advantage of by someone impersonating one of our employees."
The statement added, "Our customer engagement team is in touch with the customer to learn more as well as offer assistance, and we are investigating the matter internally."
