Telltale Signs A Travel Booking Site Is Fake And Trying To Scam You

Stealing someone's vacation is a special kind of evil. Unfortunately, this kind of crime happens all the time. The Better Business Bureau's 2023 Scam Tracker Risk Report lists travel scams as one of the top 10 riskiest consumer scams. The report states that susceptibility to travel scams is at 59.6% for self-reporting victims, an increase of 10.3% from the previous year. Targets lost a median amount of $543 to travel scams in 2023, an amount that could make or break a weekend away. One method used by fraudsters in this madness? Scam travel booking sites.

There are a couple of ways scammers work their scam-site trick. Their targets are anyone with a sense of adventure and a payment card. While senior citizens have many financial scams to be aware of, people of all ages are susceptible to the travel booking site scam. How does it work? Basically, scammers create "lookalike" booking sites that seem legitimate at first glance — and maybe even second and third.

These fake sites are made for real hotels, airlines, rental companies, etc. Sometimes scam travel bookings are listed on otherwise legitimate sites, like Airbnb or Vrbo. Sometimes, "triangulation" fraud is deployed. This involves a chain of fraudulent websites, stolen payment methods, and false advertising to provide an air of credibility to dirty dealings. It isn't always easy to tell fake travel booking sites from a real one, but read on for tips to save your next vacation from scammers.

Remember the three s's of scam avoidance when scrolling through your next booking site: spelling, security, and suspicion. Lookalike booking sites might seem like the real deal, but scammers aren't always as sophisticated in their spelling skills as they are web design. It's especially key to check the spelling in a booking site's URL. Expedia.com is a legitimate site, but "Expediia.com" only looks like the real deal.

Secure website and payment options are hallmarks of legitimate booking sites; not so with scam sites. Look for sites with a URL that starts with "https://" (the "s" stands for secure) and features a little padlock icon in the address bar. This means the webpage you're on has a secure connection, which won't be part of a scammer's tool set.

Suspicion can pay dividends when it comes to spotting travel scam sites, especially of deals that seem too good to be true. Scammers pretending to be professional third-party discount providers may advertise deep discounts for booking last-minute and paying a partial fee upfront. You may end up paying the fee and handing over your data, only to discover months later that you never booked the listing you thought you did — and now you're out the money you were scammed, plus true last-minute booking fees. Also keep an eye out for odd payment requests. If a scammer solicits payment in the form of a wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or gift card, consider the red flags waving at warp speed.

Scam vigilance can be exhausting. Of course, if you want to fully avoid the chance of falling for a travel booking site scam, you can simply book directly through the official hotel, airline, or rental car provider you desire. Yet, the temptation for additional savings through legitimate third-party sites may prove too strong. In the event you decide to brave booking sites off the beaten path, be sure to do your due diligence.

Research companies and deals before you pay for any booking, especially if you're deal-hunting during peak travel season (but, of course, be careful even if booking a "shoulder season" vacation). Scammers know bargain-hunters looking to book spur-of-the-moment travel may not be paying close attention to detail. On that note, also don't trust the first listing that shows up in an internet search for being legitimate, either, as anyone can sponsor posts and buy their way to the top of search results, including scammers. Be wary of direct solicitation from scammers via social media as well, along with targeted ads and social media ads that could be paid for by fraudsters running a scam.

If you do find a booking deal online that seems legitimate yet too good to be true, call the hotel to confirm if it's offering such a promotion before moving forward with payment information. You can also search hotels and businesses through the Better Business Bureau website to see if they return any hits for fraud. There are plenty of dumb things to waste money on in this life, don't let scam travel bookings be one of them.