Top Vacation Scams

Sunny skies. Warm weather. Relaxation on the beach. When you are on vacation, the last thing you need is a scam. Unfortunately, the fraudsters don’t take a vacation when you do. When all you need is some time away from home, con artists will try tricking you with these common vacation scams.

You Won A Free Trip!

Everyone loves the word free. One of the most common vacation scams is receiving a call, text, email, or even a website pop-up claiming you have won a free trip. Most of these prizes are fake with scammers looking to exploit you. There are a couple of ways to determine if it is a scam:

• You don’t recognize the company you won the trip from. You can try doing a simple internet search to verify if it is a legitimate company.
• They will request your credit card information. They will give you all kinds of reasons as to why they need it to process your prize, but think about it. If it is a free trip, why do you need to provide a payment method?

If you really need a vacation, always work with a trusted travel agency or a book reservation with legitimate companies.

Third-Party Booking Sites

Did you find a bargain on an unrecognizable website? If this deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Scammers will mimic online bookings for airlines, hotels, and other travel sites. These are usually hard to notice at first until you have made the “reservation.” From there, you may get contacted to verify all the information already submitted online, including your credit card.

If you book a really good deal and get a phone call shortly after, use caution. Hang up the call and try calling the hotel or airline directly to verify you made a reservation with their establishment. Before you submit your information to a potentially shady website, check the BBB Scam Tracker. It is updated with recent reports of untrustworthy websites.

Free WiFi

Think twice before connecting your mobile device to free WiFi. While most airports and hotels offer this as an amenity, scammers can easily hack into the public service and steal your information. To avoid this potential attack, stay away from public WiFi. If you need access to the internet, try connecting to your smartphone’s hotspot.

Tour Guide Scams

In a tourist-centric destination, you may be approached by someone who wants to be your tour guide. While having inside knowledge about the place you are exploring and vacationing sounds great, the tour guide may lead you to scams.

Some fake tour guides will lead unprepared tourists to local shops claiming they have the lowest prices in town! You may not be easily swayed, but what makes scammers effective is their persistence and persuasion. If you plan on exploring, hire a legitimate tour guide from a brick and mortar location. Don’t let random people come up to you and lead you on an unknown adventure.

Don’t become a victim on vacation. Stay vigilant and be aware of these common scams before booking your next vacation destination!