Time To Hit The Road? 5 Ways To Avoid Travel Scams

It’s that time of the year when most of us are pumped to travel. But it’s a real bummer when you fall prey to a travel scam.

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Travel swindles are multiplying because more people are getting out post-COVID. They take many forms, but this is how you can protect yourself, according to Proxyrack.

1. Verify the security of the website in your browser. Fake travel companies can look highly professional and be hard to spot, but consumers can check whether or not a site is legitimate by clicking on the padlock icon icon to the left of the URL. This will show you whether there is a valid security certificate issued to the company you think you’re booking with.

2. Thoroughly check the website's URL. Scam travel websites often replicate reputable companies using domain spoofing tricks, such as adding or removing an extra letter in the address, using http:// rather than https:// in the hope that consumers won't notice. Most internet browsers are pretty good at informing you when a website is secure, but do double-check that the URL is correct.

3. Avoid paying with digital currency. Dishonest travel promoters will often encourage you to pay with wire transfers, prepaid cards, or cryptocurrency, instead of with a credit card but this is often a sure sign of a scam. If you use these forms of payment and the deal is illegitimate, you will lose your money and it will be unlikely you’ll be able to track it or get it back.

4. Don’t be lured away from trusted sites for payment. Travel fraudsters often direct consumers away from trusted booking platforms and request payment on separate, external sites, by tempting them with a better rate if they pay on a different platform. Consumers should keep all communications, bookings and payments on trusted platforms to help protect them from fraud.

5. Avoid clicking on email links. Unsolicited promotional emails can appear legitimate, but may include click-through links to fake websites designed to capture credentials. Avoid clicking on links sent via email with travel promotions like free airline tickets, frequent flyer points or warnings that there is an issue with your booking, as these are commonly used by scammers.

Bottom line: Take your time and do your homework. Some of these “deals” are tooo good to be true, so use several sites to compare offers.

By John F. Wasik, Contributor