With summer around the corner and many of us on the hunt for the best holiday deals, Brits are being warned to look out for the major travel scams circulating.
To avoid being caught out by a travel booking scam, the travel and luggage storage experts at Bounce have put together their top tips ahead of the upcoming holiday season.Cody Candee, CEO and Founder of Bounce comments:
1. Be aware of common travel booking scams
“While it is nearly impossible to know when you will be scammed, it is important to know what kind of travel scams exist to better protect yourself. Some common travel scams include passport fast-tracking offers, rushed holiday deposit payments, fake holiday listings and highly discounted holidays. And, scammers often target consumers through fake emails, texts, phone calls, social media listings and online adverts.
2. Make payments using secure websites
“Take your time when placing a holiday booking and ensure what you’re purchasing is protected. Travel scammers may try to steer you away from trustworthy booking sites and ask for payment on alternative platforms in exchange for a cheaper deal. If you are given a discounted price for these payments on an alternative site, alarm bells should be ringing. Make sure to only make bookings through reputable sources. Paying with a credit card or through PayPal will also provide you with considerably better fraud protection. Likewise, check to see if a company is ABTA or ATOL protected, for additional financial security.
3. Review and research
“Look at the reviews for the travel agencies, accommodations, rentals, or transfers you are thinking about using before you make a booking. You can find out what other people are saying, including insight into their own experiences, by searching for terms like “scam” or “complaint”. If you are still feeling unsure about the legitimacy of your booking, why not take the time to contact the front desk at your desired property, or make your bookings directly with your airline of choice?
4. Check the website’s legitimacy
“Emails, pop-up ads, and other internet advertisements frequently maintain a convincing appearance but can include links to fake websites, which can often be difficult to recognise. Although the majority of web browsers are effective at alerting you when a website is secure, it is still crucial to double-check the URL. Scammers can use domain spoofing techniques, such as adding or removing an extra letter from the address or utilising http:// rather than https:// in the hopes that customers won’t recognise it. Ensure the website you use includes a padlock icon to the left of the URL. By clicking on the padlock, you will be able to see whether the website you are making your booking from has a valid security certificate.
5. Be wary of unsecured networks
“Booking a holiday, luggage storage, or other means of travel on public Wi-Fi can result in additional security issues. Data shared across public Wi-Fi is often unsecured and can therefore lead you to a greater risk of online scams. Example precautions you can take include using mobile data where possible. If you do need to access public Wi-Fi, make sure to connect with caution. Stay away from disclosing personal information such as bank account numbers or private passwords and don’t forget to click “forget network” once you have finished. You could also consider investing in a virtual private network (VPN). VPNs create an encrypted connection for your data. They protect your online identity by hiding your IP address, and therefore allow you to use public Wi-Fi more safely”.
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