How to avoid travel scams so your dream holiday doesn’t turn into nightmare
The Better Business Bureau cautions travellers to be on the lookout for an increase in travel scams when winter sets in and we start to daydream of warm places to escape.
Multiple complaints of travel scams utilising fraudulent airline and booking websites and phone numbers have been documented by the BBB national Scam Tracker.
339 scams involving travel were reported to BBB's Scam Tracker in 2021.
On BBB's Fraud Tracker, travel scam losses were reported totaling more than $350,000 in 2021. Scams can cost hundreds of dollars every report and result in time loss and threats to personal security information. The majority of cases include customers making travel arrangements using what seemed to be a reliable website or a well-known airline's phone number. Booking through third parties like Expedia leaves some passengers stranded. “They should've helped me.”
However, customers never received a confirmation email or any information regarding the trip after making the reservation. Many customers never get confirmation of their reservations. The con artists soon call other people and claim the “agreement” has expired or been cancelled. The con artist then presents a fresh proposition at a higher cost. By cancelling the last “discount” and booking another, the con artists persuade customers to supply credit card information or to make larger purchases.
How to file a scam report
Customers claim that after contacting the main airlines, they learned that the reservation information was missing. After just one valid ticket purchase, travellers have been left stuck at airports. Others claim there were numerous subsequent repeating allegations.
How to recognise a travel scam
- Before giving any payment or personal information, customers are advised by the Better Business Bureau to confirm with the airline or double-check the legitimacy of the website or contact information.
- Be extremely cautious while using websites to purchase tickets for flights.
- The mere fact that a travel website is attractive does not imply that it is reliable.
- According to Shannon Siegferth, president and chief executive officer of the Akron BBB, “no matter who you assume may be on the phone, I would urge never giving out personal information to an unsolicited caller.” “Hang up if you think this is a fraud. If you believe the call was real, call the number back after independently verifying it. Never allow a deadline or “a deal” prevent you from conducting thorough research on any company before making a purchase.
- Additionally, Siegferth advises perusing a business' website, reading customer testimonials, and confirming that the company is BBB-accredited.
- “We advise customers to check that the business they are considering making a purchase from clearly and conspicuously displays a direct and efficient means of contacting the business. An email address, physical address, and phone number are also provided,” Siegferth stated.
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