The article discusses how credit card companies like American Express, Visa, and Chase have moved away from relying on travel alerts for fraud detection and now use more sophisticated methods. It explains that travel alerts were once a common way for customers to notify their card issuers about upcoming trips to avoid having their cards declined due to suspected fraud. However, with advancements in technology and data analysis, card issuers can now track spending patterns and detect potential fraud in real-time without the need for travel alerts. The article highlights that machine learning algorithms analyze transaction data, locations, merchant codes, and other factors to identify unusual activity. If suspected fraud is detected, the card issuer may send an alert or temporarily freeze the card until the customer confirms the legitimacy of the charges. The key takeaway is that travel alerts are becoming obsolete as credit card companies leverage advanced fraud detection systems to proactively identify and prevent fraudulent transactions.