Whether you are just starting booking your hotel and flights or already out of the office and enjoying your holidays, BBB encourages people to be vigilant for ordinary travel and holiday scams and use BBB approved businesses to ensure that their holidays are planned.
There are five holiday scams and red flags to keep an eye.
Holiday rent
Holiday fares are a great option if you want to get home relief while traveling. When booking your fare, look at the list of properties that are either not for rent, not available, or far more different than the picture. Who these artists attract holidays with low fees and big facilities? The “owner” creates a sense of urgency, such as telling potential clients that you are interested in rent at the same time during your journey, before you try to pay you before you get enough research or the time to question the justification of the list.
‘Free’ holiday scams
When a cruise or travel company ads a holiday as a holiday, this does not necessarily mean that the journey is completely without cost or restriction. Read excellent print and see for additional fees for air transport in port, port compensation, tax, indicators and other unknown fees. Find out more about these cruise scams and see what red flags you have to see on the BBB Organ if you are interested in booking a holiday or cruise package, work with a famous travel agency.
Third party booking site scams
If you book your airplane, hotel or other trips via a third party website, make sure to use caution. BBB Scam Tracker receives reports from scammers that pretend to be an online airline ticket broker. In the most common version of this scam, passengers pay with credit cards, and immediately after paying, they receive a call from the company that they are asked to confirm their names, addresses, banking information or other personal details – which a legitimate company will never do. The company can also call it and say that your flight has been canceled and you have to pay additional fees or even bring the goods on the board. Do your research before booking an airplane or holiday package with a company that you are not aware of. Search on BBB.org and read users’ reviews from other users.
Hotel scam
Scammers are tired or in a hurry to tourists and business travelers. Pay full attention and keep an eye on these tricks:
- Fake Front Desk Calls: Scammers call at night or after check -in, imitate the front desk person. The caller claims that the file has a problem in the card and asks the passenger to “re -verify” credit card information.
- “Free” WiFi connection: The Wi-Fi “Skiming” targets passengers with the promise of free internet access. The scammers set up a fake connection that seems to be a free hotel Wi -Fi, but it is not safe. They will control the connection through their computer and submit all the passenger’s transmitted data, including passwords, card information, and more. Avoid doing any banking transactions or checking personal accounts when using the Open Wi -Fi network. Use a safe, private network if it is important to access personal or financial accounts.
- Fake food supplies: Scammers will distribute fake menu to hotel rooms. When a passenger calls on a phone number and orders delivery, they collect credit card information and never give food.
- Time Share Re -sale: Who is another common travel scam -time share resale? A time -share owner who wants to sell is a call to someone who claims to be a real estate broker or an agent. These scammers claim to master the time -share and promise that they are ready to buy buyers. To secure this service, the scammer presses the target to pay a front fee. The owner of the time share pays, but the re -sales agent never provides.
Business bureau’s better points to avoid holiday scams
● Find reviews and ask for reference. Check BBB.org for hotels, travel companies, holiday fares and more, for reviews and complaints. To find a reliable business, find the BBB seal. Find photos and read a variety of reviews. If the property or the company has no online reviews or photos, ask them and call them.
● Remember, a great deal can be great to be true. Scammers attract goals by guaranteed amazing trips at a very low price. First research it. If a hotel, travel or tour is much cheaper than similar options, be suspicious.
● Book your journey safely online. Take additional precautions when using a third party booking site. Make sure you are available on a safe, legitimate website before your travel bookings and payment. If you are not sure about the site, go directly to the hotel or airline website and book them directly.
● Avoid using money wiring or prepaid debit card to pay your holiday. These payments are like sending cash. Once the money was sent, there is no way to withdraw it. When paying with a credit card, the charges can be controversial.
● Do some research. Check the website for links to the company’s social media accounts. If they have social media accounts, check their activity and see if any other users have left reviews or expressed complaints. Also, search for types and pixels. These errors are a symbol of a scammer, not a company that takes care of its online presence.
For BBB information
Visit bbb.org/canton or call 330-454-9401 to find a business, file a complaint, write customer reviews, read the points, find our events, follow us on social media and some more.
