5 online travel booking scams you need to be aware of
Has the travel bug bit you already? After years of being cooped up due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a lot of us are eagerly waiting to go on a vacation somewhere. But as many people seek out travel, scamsters are also on the prowl trying to dupe people out of their hard-earned vacation budget.
The mantra to keep in mind: If it’s too good to be true, then it’s a scam.
So if you are booking your travel online, keep an eye out for 5 most common red flags:
1. FREE AIR TICKET
No, there is no Prince of Nigeria that is offering you a free vacation, nor have you won any Coca Cola prize in the UK. Travel agents or online ads promising you free flight tickets are most likely bogus ones who want to steal your credit card details or other financial information.
Clicking on such bogus links can also install malware on your device, which in turn can steal your personal information, commit identity thefts, hack your social media etc.
Then there are bait and switch airfare deals, that appear like pop up ads or ads on your social media feed. They might even be copied from legitimate airlines and their social media handles. However, these fake posts take you to a bogus websites offering a very less price compared to average airfare and dupe you into giving your financial credentials.
What to watch out for: Fake websites or social media handles often have spelling or grammatical errors. For example, if a scamster is trying to clone indigo.com, then the fake website is likely going to be indgo.com or indigo.net or indigo.org, etc.
Not just free or cheap airfare, scamsters may offer free tickets for amusement parks etc.
2. FAKE TRAVEL WEBSITES
Fake travel websites are flooding the internet, trying to lure in people by making cheap and impossible offers. Always book your travel using trusted travel websites like booking.com, makemytrip.com etc. If you’ve come across an ad on social media or while browsing about another travel agent offering a very cheap price for something not so cheap, rest assured, it is a scam.
Also, look out for fake website clones, just like the airline clones. Scamsters may try to make a fake booking.com website, so watch out for grammatical or spelling errors. These fake websites may try to sell you a bogus travel packages.
3. NON-EXISTENT RESERVATIONS
While booking hotels or other rentals, you might compare prices on different websites like booking.com or agoda.com etc. However, if the price for a hotel seems to be too cheap compared to the average or the facilities provided, then it’s an immediate red flag.
If you are in doubt, you can call up the hotel and ask them for the prices and about the cheap listing. To check whether it’s a genuine travel coordinator on the other side, you can ask them a little about the local places to visit etc. The longer you speak to the travel agent, the better you will realise whether s/he is a trained professional for travel.
4. VISA FRAUD
If you are travelling abroad, you need to be doubly cautious of scamsters. Since travelling abroad requires major planning and paperwork as well, ensure that you only deal with trusted travel coordinators.
With e-visa facilities available for Indians in some countries, there are also fake e-visa websites coming up that promise a cheaper fee and an instant visa. Travellers need to check whether the website is genuine or not before proceeding. In anyways, it is better to apply for an e-visa from a government portal.
5. FAKE INSURANCE POLICIES
Due to the uncertainty around Covid-19 restrictions, a lot of travellers are nervous about their trips or flights getting cancelled after pouring in all that money. So, some opt to insure their travels in case of any cancellations.
However, these insurance policies are often expensive add-ons. The scamsters offering insurance policies are likely to offer them at dirt-cheap prices or for free. Insurance is never free, nor does travel insurance come at a small price. So, any cheap or free offers are a red flag. In the best-case scenario, you are only duped out of insurance, but in the worst case scenario, your financial credentials might be stolen.
So how ready are you to pack your bags and set out?