How crooks can cause harm with airline passes

They’re a pass to get on a plane, then maybe a bookmark and eventually probably trash.

But you’ll want to hang onto your boarding pass if your summer travels take you to the airport.

At Lambert – St. Louis International Airport, there are more people, more luggage and there’s more hustle. The number of passengers passing through Lambert is up nearly 10 percent.

They’re all getting from A to B. From checking in, to grabbing bags, there’s a lot to do.

But make sure not to leave your boarding pass where other people can get to it.

Why?

“The information that’s on your boarding pass could be used in any number of things,” said Dan Yarger, an Ethical Hacker with Parameter Security based in St. Charles.

He says losing track of your boarding pass could mean trouble.

Criminals could see your name, sometimes your address, flight plans and frequent flyer info.

“With their name and their frequent flyer number, you know, you might be able to log onto their Facebook, see their Facebook page, get information about them and then go about starting to compromise information,” said Yarger.

For newlyweds returning from their honeymoon we spoke to, their boarding passes are keepsakes, “For our first week of marriage kind of thing,” said the new groom.

But others leave them on the plane or, like we found, toss them in airport trash cans where they’re easily visible.

The barcodes can be mined for info too.

With a few steps and a computer program anyone can get, “your name’s one there, your seat number, the flight departure time,” said Yarger.

Nothing that wasn’t already on the pass itself, but “the barcodes could have any amount of information on it that the airline deems necessary,” he said.

So take it home and trash it or do what Debra Carson, who was at Lambert to pick somebody up, already does when she travels, shred it.

Rush: You get an A-plus for air travel.

“Thank you,” Carson said laughing.

We reached out to the major airlines for comment. Those who got back say, while what we just showed you is possible, they’re not aware of it happening to any former passengers.

One airline told us you should guard your pass like anything else that has your information, such as your driver’s license, credit card, even junk mail.