BHGH Alert – Beware Of Travel Scammers!
Howdy! It’s #WhatsUpWednesday and your Chief Travel Guru has been reading more and more about scammers targeting people who are anxious to start traveling again and wants to make sure you don’t fall victim to these fake travel websites and schemes – which range from selling fake airline tickets to renting out vacation homes that they do not even own.
The bad news is that the scammers are becoming more and more sophisticated in their attempts at luring you into booking with them. As a result the Better Business Bureau said that is receiving more and more complaints of consumers seeing too-good-to-be-true deals online, booking them and then realizing they were duped. In response to the increased complaints the BBB put together the following list of guidelines to help consumers avoid being scammed:
How to Avoid Travel Scams (Courtesy of BBB)
Do your research. If you come across a company you haven’t dealt with before, research it before making any purchases. Look on BBB.org for reviews and feedback from previous customers.
Double check the URL before you enter personal and payment information.
It can be easy to click on a sponsored ad or imposter website without noticing. Before you enter any sensitive information, double check that you are on the right website and that the link is secure. (Secure links start with “https://” and include a lock icon on the purchase page.)
Be wary of third-party websites.
Some websites appear to offer a legitimate service but are only fronts for a scam. Be suspicious of websites with no working customer service number and no physical address. Typos and grammatical errors can be indications of a scammer’s handiwork, too.
Make online purchases with your credit card.
Fraudulent charges made on a credit card can usually be disputed, whereas that might not be the case with other payment methods. Unfortunately, there is no way to get back the personal information you may have shared.
The good news – the best way to avoid falling prey to these scammers is quite simple – always utilize the services of an accredited travel agency or travel advisor– such as myself and my team at Book Here, Give Here – when booking any type of travel! So, give us a call – we’d love to curate your perfect summer getaway and take all that undo stress of planning the perfect vacation off your shoulders – leaving you with just pretty much having to pack and enjoy!
Namaste!
