A Hacker Canceled a Family's Cruise After Their Confirmation Number Was Visible on Facebook A social media photo blunder cost one family their dream trip — and thousands of dollars.
By Emily Rella Edited by Melissa Malamut
Key Takeaways
- A TikToker found out her cruise was canceled the morning they were traveling to the port, but she says it wasn't her.
- A "bad actor" saw the confirmation number on social media.
- "Unfortunately, this guest failed to heed well-documented and very common travel safety and security advice," a Carnival spokesperson said.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
A tiny error on social media reportedly cost one family $15,000 for a cruise that they never sailed on.
In a series of TikTok videos that have since gone viral, Tiffany Banks told viewers that she received an unexpected email from Carnival Cruises the day her family was traveling to the company's port in Miami, Florida, saying her reservation had been canceled, sending her into a "full-blown panic."
"We've been planning this vacation for a year," Banks told viewers, noting that she had booked the Excel Presidental Suite, which is the largest that the company offers. "We had all kinds of extra perks, we were super excited."
After talking to multiple representatives, Banks found out her cruise had been canceled, despite pleading with reps that was not the case.
After telling reps that she did not cancel the cruise, Banks claims that she was offered her two interior rooms as a replacement, but not the suite she had booked, and not a full refund.
"Whenever I asked [Carnival] to trace it because I can guarantee you that I didn't cancel, they said, 'Well, we can't trace it,'" she said.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line Installs Starlink Internet on Every Ship
Banks said that she and her family, children included, went to the port anyway but were denied access to the boat after turning down the replacement interior rooms.
In a follow-up video, Banks said that she received a call from Carnival days later, which confirmed that the company believed her reservation had been accessed by a hacker and that she was a victim of identity theft.
It turns out that Banks had posted a photo on Facebook weeks earlier with her confirmation number in view, which led a "bad actor" (traced to Canada) to see it, create a fake profile, add the Banks family's booking to their online account, and cancel the original.
"Unfortunately, this guest failed to heed well-documented and very common travel safety and security advice," a Carnival spokesperson told PEOPLE. "It is never a good idea to post personal information about your travel plans, including a confirmation number for a booking, which could allow a bad actor or identity thief to use that information in inappropriate or even illegal ways."
"Had [Carnival] listened to me whenever I said I didn't cancel and done a quick and swift investigation, we could have had this squashed," she said.
Related: Why You Might Be Paying More for Your Next Carnival Cruise
Banks claims that Carnival offered her $10,000 for a future cruise credit if she posted on social media that there was a positive resolution, but she refused.
Carnival did not immediately respond to Entrepreneur's request for comment.
