Fraudulent invoices for navigation fees from criminals purporting to be from Eurocontrol or the International Air Transport Association (IATA) are a “growing problem,” according to aviation mission support firm Flight Service Bureau. “We’ve seen an increasing variety of bogus emails that at first glance look like they are from Eurocontrol or IATA, but aren’t,” it said.
While most of these emails are “poorly written and easy enough to identify as bogus,” the firm said that there are several other red flags that indicate that an email invoice for navigation fees is fake. These include incorrect email domain names; asking for a copy of a previous invoice or payment; or a notification of a change in payment bank account information.
According to Flight Service Bureau, recipients should pay close attention to the sender's domain name for emailed navigation fee invoices. Eurocontrol emails come only from the eurocontrol.int domain, while IATA emails are from iata.org. Additionally, invoices can be confirmed at Eurocontrol by emailing [email protected] or calling +32 2729 3838; IATA invoices can be verified via [email protected]. Flight Service Bureau also recommends paying for Eurocontrol invoices through the agency’s Central Route Charges Office website.