Don’t let these scams ruin your vacation
It’s been a long winter and you’ve been looking forward to a sunny getaway for months. As you happily pack your bags and finalize your plans, be wary of these vacation scams, which can turn your dream vacation into a nightmare. Make sure you do not let these scams ruin your vacation.
Travel scams
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns sunny vacationers to be wary of super-cheap, likely bogus, travel deals. Before booking a flight or hotel reservation through an online service, research the agency behind the deal. Look up the business on BBB’s site and check out their website thoroughly. The BBB also recommends booking a vacation deal using a credit card so you can reclaim your money if things go south.
Grandparent scams
In this ruse, scammers will call the victim and pretend to be their vacationing grandchild. They’ll claim to have been arrested or hospitalized and that they are in desperate need of cash. Sometimes, the caller will impersonate local authorities or medical personnel allegedly with the grandchild. The caller will ask the grandparents to send money immediately via wire transfer or prepaid debit card. And the scam can also target parents or friends of vacationing students.
The demand for immediate payment, and for payment via wire transfer or prepaid debit card, should alert you to this scam. The caller pretends to be your grandchild, you can also spot the scam by asking the caller personal questions only your grandchild will know how to answer. You will know they can’t provide satisfactory answers, hang up. If the caller is impersonating a legal or medical authority, ask to speak to your grandchild. If they claim this isn’t possible, ask for a callback number and hang up. Next, call your vacationing grandchild or the relatives who are most likely to have last heard from them to verify your grandchild’s whereabouts. You’ll probably learn that your grandchild is fine.
Airbnb scams
In this scam, you’ll contact an Airbnb property owner. The supposed host will send you a link for other properties they have listed and you’ll wire a fee to reserve a rental. But, when you try to confirm your reservation with Airbnb, it will have no record of the property or of your transaction. Unfortunately, you were previously directed to a bogus website.
Avoid this scam by checking the URL of any site you visit through Airbnb.org to make sure you’re still on the actual Airbnb site.
Now you know how to not let these scams ruin your vacation. Scammers are getting more and more sophisticated and smooth. They make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and can trick anyone. And they do. If you look for the signs, you can avoid them. If you like this post, check out the MoneySmart Tips blog.
