[corn-you-copia] Travel and Vacation Scams
- From: "Hap Holly" <hap@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <corn-you-copia@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2017 20:50:44 -0500
*I found this item from the May 31st
<https://blog.vipreantivirus.com/author/vipre-security-news/> VIPRE Security
News of great interest.*
Featured Article<https://blog.vipreantivirus.com/category/featured-article/> . Security
Tips <https://blog.vipreantivirus.com/category/security-tips/> > How to
Spot Fake Travel Websites and Vacation Scams
How to Spot Fake Travel Websites and Vacation Scams
Posted by <https://blog.vipreantivirus.com/author/vipre-security-news/>
VIPRE Security News On May 31, 2017 In
<https://blog.vipreantivirus.com/category/featured-article/> Featured
Article, <https://blog.vipreantivirus.com/category/security-tips/> Security
Tips
<https://blog.vipreantivirus.com/featured-article/spot-fake-travel-websites-
vacation-scams/#respond> No comments
_____
Each summer, more and more people lose money to scammers who promise
everything from bargain vacation breaks to cheap flights. Here's what to
look out for.
Every year around this time, more and more
<http://www.aol.co.uk/travel/2017/05/07/holiday-booking-scams-rise-by-a-fift
h/> bargain-hungry people get ripped off in vacation and travel scams. Fake
websites pop up almost daily on search engines when unwary travelers type in
popular destinations in their hunt for a summer getaway. Carelessness can
lead to the misery of being duped into paying hundreds or thousands of
dollars to bogus travel companies, agents, and property owners.
People looking for the perfect villa in the sun assume their searches
produce authentic listings, so, without thinking too much, many of us follow
instructions to book directly with the supposed owners of the properties.
Bad move!
Do not assume. On closer inspection, many sites turn out to be convincing
fakes. Usually, the sites are copies of genuine ones, created by scammers
using images and marketing copy pulled or altered from genuine sites.
Popular scams include vacation accommodation, airline tickets, sports and
religious trips, timeshares, and vacation clubs.
1. Vacation accommodation
Not only are scammers skilled at creating fake websites that look
astonishingly good, they are adept at hacking into legitimate ones and
posting fake adverts on them and on social media.
2. Airline tickets
These scams involve people booking a flight and receiving a fake ticket, or
paying for a ticket that never shows up.
3. Sports and religious trips
Tickets with limited availability are a huge favorite for fraudsters because
of the exorbitant prices they can grab.
4. Timeshares and vacation clubs
Victims can lose thousands of dollars each to timeshare and vacation fraud.
How to avoid becoming a victim of travel fraud
* Where possible, only book accommodation and so on through companies
with which you have had positive relationships.
* Do some thorough research on companies you don't recognize before
you confirm any arrangements. Start by checking the company's credentials -
if it's defrauding people, victims will likely have posted their story
online or contacted the press. See if the company has a legitimate phone
number and address.
* Even though it is quick and easy, paying directly into an owner's
bank account is never a good idea. If the owner is a scammer, your funds
will disappear in seconds. It is always best to pay by credit card.
* Study receipts, invoices and read the small print, and realize that
your suspicions are probably warranted with any companies that don't provide
any or all.
For a more comprehensive list, containing valuable advice, see what the
Federal Trade Commission has to say
<https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0027-travel-scams> on the
matter.
Finally, as the old saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it
probably is.
Trust your instincts!
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