Summer is a great time to take that long-awaited trip. But it’s also the time when scammers try to steal your hard-earned money and ruin your travel plans.
You can come across scammers when you least expect it, even on the most popular online travel platforms like Airbnb.
Thankfully, these vacation scams are easy to spot when you know what to look for. Let’s explore common scammers’ tactics, so you can avoid them and plan your trip with confidence.
- Free vacation comes with a cost
Watch out for the “you’re the lucky winner” messages. These messages, sent via mail or email, will tell you that you just won a free vacation stay. The catch? As your “free vacation” approaches, you’ll start receiving requests to pay certain fees or deposits – which can exceed the price of a regular vacation! And if you still decide to go, you’ll realize that the vacation spot doesn’t even exist or that it looks far from what was in those idyllic-looking ads.
- Part ways with third-party payments
When you need to book your Airbnb, pay directly on their website. Airbnb is a great way to find rentals, but that doesn’t mean it’s 100% safe. For example, scammers might post an Airbnb listing for a dream rate. But when you try booking it, they’ll ask you to pay via a third-party payment system. Airbnb itself cautions users to avoid payments via Western Union, MoneyGram, cashier's check, money order, or Liberty Reserve. If you end up paying outside the Airbnb platform, there’s an extremely high chance that dream vacation spot isn’t real. And if you try to get your money back, Airbnb won’t be able to help you.
- Experiences you’d rather avoid
Another place to watch out for scammers is on Airbnb Experiences. With Experiences, you can meet locals and try some fun activities ranging from tours to photoshoots or scavenger hunts. But the growing popularity of Experiences has also made them a target for scammers. One way to see if this experience is real and worth your money is by reading reviews. Scammers often have brand-new accounts with little to no reviews.
- You’re part of the club… or are you?
Some travel companies offer memberships that turn out to be nothing but a scam. These memberships promise you exclusive stays, discounts, or even free trips. But here comes the catch: This “club” will charge you very high fees, their “free” things will have a lot of restrictions, and their limited-time offers won’t work with your plans. Soon enough you’ll realize that this membership is practically worthless.
When you’re about to go on your dream vacation, it’s hard to think clearly because you're excited and juggling so many travel details. Scammers know this and see it as the perfect time to steal your hard-earned money. Luckily, you can protect yourself by being aware of common red flags.
In many cases, simply trusting your gut can help you spot a spammer. When it sounds too good to be true, it’s probably is. Another suspicious tactic is if the person you’re talking to is being too sales-y and pushy.
Whether these are vacation scams or anything else, your security is important to us. Learn more ways to protect yourself from fraud and scams by visiting our Member Security Resource Center.
