Everyone loves a bargain. And with post-pandemic travel skyrocketing, we’re attracted to online travel deals like moths to flames. How do you avoid getting burned? You need some guardrails.
According to Proxyrack, here’s four key safeguards:
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 to the left of the URL. This will show you whether there is a valid security certificate issued to the company. 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 – especially at the checkout stage.
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, so do not purchase any travel packages with these methods. 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.
4. Look out for social media advertisements scams. Fake competition social media advertisements have also been known to defraud holidaymakers out of a fee to secure a vacation. Always double-check the account behind these advertisements by looking for the blue checkmark next to the account name which will let you know that the account is genuine, and be sure to report any fraudulent activity.
The bottom line in avoiding scams? Take your time and do your research to find trusted services. You’ll still save money and have a better overall travel experience.
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