The Higher Enterprise Bureau workplace serving West Michigan in Grand Rapids. (August 18, 2023)
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) – Because the spring break season approaches, the Higher Enterprise Bureau is warning vacationers about scammers seeking to money in on their trip plans.
Shoppers reported dropping a mean of greater than $600 to journey scams, in response to the 2022 BBB Rip-off Monitoring Danger Report.
A method scammers can goal you is by itemizing properties that aren't for lease or don't truly exist, or utilizing faux images. The “proprietor” may additionally strain you to make a reservation by claiming that another person is within the property and it’s essential act rapidly.
Scammers additionally create faux third-party lodge reserving websites that declare to supply cheaper charges at actual motels. They’ll do the identical with air journey by creating faux ticket numbers or posing as actual airways.
BBB affords some ideas to ensure your trip goes easily. First, plan forward by researching motels, flights, and the world you’ll be staying. You may go to BBB.org without cost enterprise profiles. Second, be cautious of third-party web sites that wouldn’t have useful contact info, akin to a cellphone quantity or bodily deal with.
Third, keep away from utilizing phrases like “finest offers” in search engines like google and yahoo and ensure the web site has a safe hyperlink beginning with “HTTPS//” (you may study extra at BBB.org/BBBSecure).
Subsequent, pay your journey bills with a bank card for added safety. Lastly, discover your airline tickets by the corporate's web site as an alternative of doing a broad Web search.