Biman warns of online scam using its name and logo

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has issued a warning about fraudulent individuals and online travel agencies who are using the flag carrier's name, logo, employee names and photos to scam customers. The fraudsters are reportedly collecting money in exchange for passenger name records (PNRs) instead of actual tickets.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Biman advised customers to beware of such scams.

Biman noted that members of these fraudulent groups contact customers from different phone numbers while posing as Biman employees.

“To earn the customer's trust, the fraudsters first provide a PNR as a booking reference and then demand payment. After receiving the payment, they either cancel the PNR or do not confirm the ticket, which leads to automatic cancellation after a certain time.”

Biman added that many customers are unaware that a PNR and a ticket are not the same. A PNR only confirms a reservation, but not the issuance of a ticket.

To confirm a seat on a Biman flight, a ticket must be issued. If a ticket is not issued after creating a PNR, the booking can be cancelled at any time, and the passenger may not be allowed to board.

The airline urged customers to verify any PNR provided by agents by contacting Biman’s sales centre or call centre (13636) before making any payment.

According to Biman, the fraud ring has already swindled large sums of money using the mobile numbers 01749881978 and 01322878863, and bank account numbers 20503100201880211 (Islami Bank) and 013914300000215 (First Security Islami Bank).

To avoid such scams, Biman advised customers to purchase tickets only through official sales offices, Biman’s website, call centre, or IATA-authorised travel agencies.

The airline also encouraged anyone who has already fallen victim to such fraud to file a complaint with their local police station.