A Denver man lost $17,000 after a call to United Airlines customer service was redirected to a scammer. The incident, which has gained attention from multiple news outlets, was first reported by a consumer investigative reporter in Denver.

Dan Smoker was planning an 18-day trip to Europe with his wife, children, and friends when their flight from Denver to London was canceled. The following day, he called United Airlines for assistance. Smoker stated that his call log indicated he was on the phone for over three hours, while a United representative claimed the conversation lasted only 12 minutes.

During the call, Smoker was transferred to someone identifying himself as David, who claimed he could secure a Lufthansa flight for Smoker and his group. David informed Smoker that he would need to charge $17,000 to his credit card, assuring him that the amount would be reimbursed later. However, Smoker never received the tickets or a refund.

Initially, the reporter suspected Smoker had fallen victim to a secondary scam, where a fake customer service number leads to a scammer. However, it was revealed that the United representative had mistakenly transferred Smoker to an external number.

On Friday, United Airlines confirmed that the customer was indeed transferred to an external number and that the agent did not use internal tools to verify the number. Smoker recounted that after a long hold, David returned to say he could not book the flight but reiterated that the charge would be refunded.

In a surprising turn, David managed to rebook Smoker's party on another United flight, which went smoothly. However, when Smoker reviewed his credit card statement, he found a charge for the legitimate United flight and an additional $17,000 charge from a company named "AIRLINEFARE."

Smoker expressed his frustration, stating, "They have a system that people are supposed to trust. I trusted that system. There was no reason that I shouldn’t have trusted that system, and I was scammed as a part of it."

A United spokeswoman stated that the airline is in direct contact with Smoker to understand the situation and is reviewing the matter thoroughly. She added that the airline is committed to finding a fair resolution. Smoker reported that his credit card company is processing a fraud claim, and United has assured him he will receive his money back.