Online vacation scams can ruin your summer fun
Taking a vacation this summer? Be extra careful when booking accommodations online. Fake websites appear to offer travelers a convenient way to reserve hotel rooms, but they are just making money for scammers.
You are planning a trip and need to book a hotel room. You see an online ad promoting hotel rooms at a cheap price, and you click it. You are directed to a website that looks legitimate. It may have a URL similar to the real hotel website or established third-party booking site. The website may also use the same logo, colors and/or design of the legitimate site.
The website might look OK, but it’s a fraud. Scammers are creating fake hotel booking websites to steal money from travelers. Some scam sites make money by tacking on additional fees, but others charge you for a room that simply doesn’t exist. In any case, sharing your credit card and personal information (such as name, address and phone number) on scam websites puts you at risk for identity theft.
Here’s how to spot a fake website:
Don’t believe what you see: The site may have the logo or design of a legitimate hotel or booking site, but that can be copied from the real website easily. Some scam websites may mirror real travel sites closely, but it is important to investigate deeper and don’t simply sign up because the site has a familiar logo.
Look out for fake contact info: Some consumers report calling the 1-800 number posted on a scam hotel booking site to confirm its legitimacy. Scammers simply impersonated the front desk of the hotel. Search independently for the legitimate busi- ness’ website via a search engine to see what contact information they provide; if the fake website provides different contact information, that is a red flag.
Doublecheck the URLs. Scammers pick URLs that look very similar to those of legitimate sites. Always be sure to double check the URL before making a purchase. Be wary of sites that have the brand name as a subdomain of another URL (i.e. brandname. scamwebsite.com), part of a longer URL (i.e. companynamebooking.com) or use an unconventional top-level domain (brandwebsite.net or brandwebsite.com).
Look for a secure con- nection. Make sure your personal information is being transmitted securely by ensuring the web address starts with “https” and has a lock icon on the browser.
Watch for too-good-tobe-true deals. Be sure to comparison shop and be suspicious of a site that has prices significantly lower than those listed elsewhere. The old adage always holds true: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Verify any hotel or thirdparty booking site: Check with the BBB at BBBHouston.org to determine how well the business answers complaints or resolves any other issues before you sign up.
The Better Business Bureau is an unbiased nonprofit organization which sets and upholds standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 87 million consumers rely on BBB Business Reviews and BBB Wise Giving Reports to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. For information or to check the reliability of a company and find trustworthy businesses, visit www. bbbhouston.org or give us a call at 713-868-9500. Leah Napoliello is senior director of Investigative Services with the Better Business Bureau of Greater Houston and South Texas. Send questions to Leah Napoliello, Better Business Bureau, 1333 West Loop South, Suite 1200, Houston, TX 77027, or e-mail her at lnapoliello@ bbbhou.org. Include mailing address and phone number on letters and emails.