Millenials and college students, beware of spring break scams
Spring break is the perfect time for a quick getaway for students across the country. Although many generations travel over spring break, scammers target college students and millennials more than anyone else.
According to TravelAgentCentral.com, 53 percent of people ages 18-34 plan to travel for spring break this year. Every year, thousands of students fall for fake travel packages, non-existent housing and too-goodto-be-true prices. Consumers reported 122 travel/vacation scams totaling over $170,000 lost to BBB ScamTracker in the first six months of 2018 alone.
BBB offers these tips for spring break travel:
■ Beware of mail, calls, e-mails and website pop-ups saying you’ve won a free trip or offer toogood-to-be-true prices. You can’t win a contest you didn’t enter.
■ Book your trip through a travel agent or travel site.
■ Ask friends and family for recommendations.
■ Avoid broad internet searches. Searching phrases like ‘best deals’ can lead you to websites designed by scammers.
■ Plan ahead. Research hotels, flights and the area where you will be staying.
■ Comparison shop. Before you make any decisions, look for similar travel deals on trusted websites. If you compare deals, you may find one cheaper.
■ Reconsider if you’re pressured to make a commitment. A good offer today usually will be a good offer tomorrow. Legitimate businesses don’t expect you to make snap decisions.
■ Consider purchasing travel insurance to provide coverage for problems you may encounter on vacation. Ask questions and read the fine print to find the plan that works best for you.
■ Pay with a credit card. Paying with a credit card gives you additional protection if a problem occurs with your travel plans. Never pay for anything with cash, prepaid debit card or wire transfer because there is no way of recovering your money.
■ Call to confirm hotel, airline and/or car rental agency arrangements prior to leaving for your trip.
■ Get everything in writing, including a full description of all travel plans, terms, conditions and restrictions.
Some of the bogus promotions offered include promises of luxurious airfare and hotel accommodations at rock-bottom prices. Many of these advertisers hide fees, take your money without providing the accommodations promised or require you to sit through a timeshare pitch. Others guarantee a full refund if the trip is canceled, but fail to make good on the promise.
For information, contact BBB at bbb.org or call (937) 222-5825 or (800) 776-5301. BBB can provide a list of BBB Accredited travel-related companies and Business Profiles. Report travel-related scams to BBB Scam Tracker (bbb.org/scamtracker).