FTC complaints say Norse’s AI-led support left flyers open to scams

In short: Complaints shared with the FTC suggest Norse Atlantic Airways’ tech-first customer service made it hard to reach a person, and some travelers say scammers took advantage.

What's going on

Norse Atlantic Airways has leaned heavily on automated customer support, including AI agents (computer programs that answer questions like a virtual help desk). According to WIRED, the airline has used chatbots such as “Odin” and later replaced it with a newer AI agent called “Freya.” A Norse executive told WIRED that Freya now manages “99 percent of inquiries from passengers.”

In response to a public records request, WIRED received around 75 detailed complaints people filed with the US Federal Trade Commission, or FTC. Many of the complaints described a similar problem: customers could not find a working way to contact a human at the airline when something went wrong, like a refund, a flight change, or a booking issue.

Several complaints said this gap created an opening for scammers. Eighteen complaints explicitly said the person was scammed after searching Google for a Norse customer service phone number and then calling a number from a third-party site. Some people reported large charges after sharing credit card details, and in some cases personal information like Social Security numbers. Of 41 complaints that included a dollar amount, 21 claimed losses of more than $1,000.

What to watch

This story highlights a basic risk of “no phone number” support: when people feel stuck, they search elsewhere, and scammers can look like the real company. Watch for whether regulators, state attorneys general, or airlines themselves push for clearer, safer ways to reach a real person when money and travel plans are on the line.

Source: Wired