Travel Insurance Review

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How to spot and avoid the latest travel scams

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Scam artist typing on a laptop

Thanks to the global pandemic, travel has changed and so have the travel scams. Travel-related scams rely on a different type of psychology than more well-known scams such as a caller demanding your credit card info to correct a problem with your income taxes. Travel scams rely on a traveler’s desire to save money and book a great travel deal.

Scam artists are very tech-savvy and they can use the same tools that legitimate companies use to attract your attention: websites, online ads, and search data.

The end goal of any scam is to get either your personal or financial information (or both) so that it can be used however the scammer wants. There can be short-term and long-term effects if you are scammed too. In the short term, you might lose some money; and in the long term, your personal information could be sold to other thieves that can cause additional financial harm.

Here are the top travel scams targeting unsuspecting travelers right now.

Fake airline ticket scam

Back in April, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Scam Tracker was receiving reports that thieves were creating fake airline ticket booking sites. Luckily, fraudulent charges made on your credit card can usually be disputed, so you’ll get the money back but there’s no way to stop the personal information you shared when booking the ticket from being sold online.

How the scam works: A traveler searches online for cheap flights and comes across what appears to be a great deal with a major airline. After booking the flight with a credit card, they discover that the airline has no record of the booking.

How to avoid it: Only book flights on official airline sites with “https://” in the URL.

Fake pizza delivery scam

There’s an entire industry built around targeting travelers for scams, and most travel scams happen in places where you find lots of tourists, like busy cities or near popular attractions. 

How the scam works: A tired and hungry traveler returns to their hotel room and spots a takeout menu for a local restaurant slipped under the door. They order and may or may not receive the food, but fraudulent charges start appearing on their credit card account.

How to avoid it: This one’s tough to avoid if you’re not familiar with the local area. You could call the hotel front desk and ask about the menu to see if it’s a legitimate restaurant, or order room service instead.

Rental car scams

Travel con artists tend to follow what people are doing and what’s happening in the industry. You’ve probably heard about the current rental car shortage, so it’s no surprise that crooks have been setting up phony online customer service numbers that look just like the major rental car companies.

How the scam works: The traveler searches for rental car deals, spots an ad, and clicks or calls to reserve the car they need. After their personal information and credit card are entered, they may or may not receive an email confirmation and the company leaves them stranded without a car.

How to avoid it: Similar to the airline ticket scam, you should only book a car rental on an official rental car site with a secure URL (starting with “https://”).

TSA PreCheck scams

Travelers watching long airport security lines on the news are likely more interested than ever in a program that lets them skip those lines. Look-alike websites have begun popping up that claim to help you quickly renew or enroll in one of these programs for a fee.

How the scam works: The traveler searches for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry and sees a website or ad that advertises speedy processing of their paperwork. They click or call, share their personal data and credit card but they are never enrolled.

How to avoid it: If you’re interested in enrolling or renewing your TSA PreCheck, always start the process by going through the official government website: tsa.gov.

Tips to spot an online travel scam

The BBB offers these tips to avoid online travel scams:

  • Look for reviews. If the company doesn’t have any online reviews, they’re probably not legit.
  • Never wire money or use a debit card to make travel payments. These are the same as sending cash and, unlike credit card payments, you can’t get that back.
  • Be a snoop. Check for links to the company’s social media accounts and look for complaints. Notice typos or pixelated images – these are not the signs of a company that cares about their online presence.

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Riding the Ups and Downs of Travel in a Pandemic

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Since May, the numbers of travelers have been steadily rising, but then came the delta variant. The recent news about travel in a pandemic is starting to feel like déjà vu all over again. Now, instead of focusing on the numbers of Covid-19 cases, experts are talking about the rates of hospitalizations and deaths. 

There are more than 100,000 people across the US that are currently hospitalized for the coronavirus, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. That’s the highest number of hospitalizations since January 2021. New hospital admissions for kids have reached the highest levels since the US started tracking pediatric cases, and doctors are warning it could get worse as schools reopen and the delta variant continues to spread.

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FDA approves two vaccines

This week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines full approval, which health experts hope will persuade people who were hesitant to get vaccinated to book the next appointment. FDA approval will make it easier for businesses, the military, schools, and hospitals to mandate vaccination.

European travel is risky

Many Americans have waited and hoped for a fall or winter European trip, but travel restrictions and cautions remain in place across the continent. The delta variant’s rampant progress means more changes are inevitable.

Keep in mind that given the continued high rate of COVID-19 cases in the US, European countries could at any time ban inbound travelers. 

What can you do? Book only when there is built-in flexibility. Think plane tickets with no change fees, generous cancellation policies at hotels and homestays, and itineraries where you can spend most of your time outdoors in case indoor spaces are restricted.

Canada travel is difficult

The excitement around Canada’s recent news about borders re-opening for fully vaccinated US travelers turned sour as people learned what’s really required to cross the border. The requirements to enter the country are so restrictive as to effectively end any chances of casual travel. 

TSA numbers are falling

According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the lowest number of travelers passed through security this week. The highest traffic numbers of the year were at the beginning of August. Rising concerns about the delta variant and vaccination rates are pushing people to cancel their flights.

Other interesting news

Fined for fake vax cards? One couple from Florida was recently fined $8,000 for attempting to travel with their kids to Hawaii with fake vaccination cards.

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