Holiday travel scams could take you for a ride

Travelers wait at a TSA checkpoint at Miami International Airport. This holiday season, travel predictions estimate between 104 and 115 million people will be on the move.
Associated Press file

Gearing up for holiday travel?

This holiday season, travel predictions estimate between 104 million and 115 million people will be on the move. Many of these travelers will be flying, and the Better Business Bureau advises them to be vigilant, especially about a scam targeting the TSA PreCheck program.

TSA PreCheck allows quicker passage through security, eliminating the need to remove shoes, belts, laptops, and other items from carry-on luggage.

“Knowing the convenience, cyber crooks see this as an opportunity to rip off travelers,” said Steve J. Bernas, BBB president and CEO. “They’re sending emails to make the application or renewal process easier and cheaper as well as offering a host of other ‘benefits.’”

The link included in the email takes you to a fake TSA website where you provide payment and personal information.

“That’s where the danger is,” Bernas said. “As soon as the info is provided, the scammers will act, stealing your money and probably your identity.”

Red flags

• Enrolling in the PreCheck program requires you to pay in person, not online.

• Renewal payments can be made online; however, emails from the TSA will never have a link to pay online. You must visit the TSA website.

• Be wary of a hard sell to have you pay immediately.

Fraudulent travel agents sometimes show you a receipt for your airline confirmation, and you feel everything has been booked. However, scammers only pay a small fee for holding a reservation for a couple of days, and never actually buy the ticket. The people being scammed often don’t find out for weeks or months that they were conned.

“During the holidays, there are several other travel scams,” Bernas said. “Travelers should be leery of free vacation offers, robocalls offering vacation deals at discounted prices, and vacation home scams — where the scammer hijacks real rental listings and advertises them as their own, or they make up listings that don’t exist and fake charter flights that may include lodging and sightseeing. After you pay for the package, you find it’s all a scam.”

Usually, there are many warning signs:

• A “free” vacation that you have to pay for. Scammers often try to get your attention by saying you won something, but then making you pay to get it. If you have to pay, it’s not really free — and all those fees and taxes can add up to hundreds of dollars.

• Not getting specific details about the travel offer. The offer says you’ll stay at a “five-star” resort or go on a cruise on a “luxury” ship. But if the organizer won’t or can’t give you more specific details, like the address of the hotel or the cruise line name, that’s a scam.

• They say the only way to pay for your vacation rental is by wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency. That’s a scam, every time.

• Pressure to make a quick decision about a vacation package or rental. If someone says you have to decide whether to buy a travel package or rent a vacation property right away, don’t do it. Scammers want to rush you.

• Premium vacation properties advertised for super cheap prices. Below-market rent can be a sign of a scam. Do some extra research to confirm the deal is legitimate before jumping in.

3 ways to avoid travel scams

• Don’t sign or pay until you know the terms of the deal. Get a copy of the cancellation and refund policies before you pay. If you can’t get those details, walk away.

• Do your own research. Visit BBB.org to look up travel companies, hotels, rentals, and agents. Online search with the words “scam,” “review,” or “complaint.” See what others say about them before you commit. Also, check that the address of the property really exists. If the property is located in a resort, call the front desk, and confirm their location and other details on the contract.

• Don’t pay with wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. Dishonest travel package promoters might ask you to pay in one of these ways, but that’s a sure sign of a scam.

How to shop for travel

• Get recommendations from trusted sources. Talk to family and friends or other trusted sources about good travel agencies, vacation rentals, hotels, and travel packages.

• Consider using a travel app. Travel apps can help you search for airfares and hotel rates. Some of them give you fare alerts and real-time deals. But make sure you know whether you’re buying from the app company or the actual airline or resort. It can affect things like whether you can get a refund or get travel points.

• Use comparison websites and applications. When you shop for airfares, know that comparison websites and applications can charge more than the airline for services like changing or canceling a flight. Also, make sure you know whether you’re buying a ticket or just making a reservation.

• Ask about mandatory hotel “resort fees” and taxes. You can’t compare rates for different hotels unless you know about all the fees. If you’re not sure whether a hotel’s website is showing you the total price, call the hotel and ask about a “resort fee” or any other mandatory charge. Also ask about taxes, which may be significant in many places.

• If you’re buying travel insurance, be sure the agency is licensed and check ratings and reviews on BBB.org. Remember to make a copy of your insurance card to take with you when you go on the trip.

If you’ve encountered a scam, report it to BBB Scam Tracker. Sign up for BBB’s free consumer newsletter, BBB Edge, at BBB.org/ChicagoBuzz.