In 2021 alone Americans were conned out of almost $100 million due to travel-related scams. With this in mind, the experts at Proxyrack have revealed 8 steps you should take to protect yourself when booking your next vacation and the steps you should take if you fall victim to travel fraud:

1. Verify the security of the website in your browser

Fake travel companies can look highly professional and be hard to spot, but consumers can check whether or not a site is legitimate by clicking on the padlock icon to the left of the URL. This will show you whether there is a valid security certificate issued to the company you think you’re booking with.

2. Thoroughly check the website’s URL

Scam travel websites often replicate reputable companies using domain spoofing tricks, such as adding or removing an extra letter in the address, using http:// rather than https:// in the hope that consumers won’t notice. Most internet browsers are pretty good at informing you when a website is secure, but do double-check that the URL is correct – especially at the checkout stage.

3. Avoid paying with digital currency

Dishonest travel promoters will often encourage you to pay with wire transfers, prepaid cards, or cryptocurrency, instead of with a credit card but this is often a sure sign of a scam. If you use these forms of payment and the deal is illegitimate, you will lose your money and it will be unlikely you’ll be able to track it or get it back, so do not purchase any travel packages with these methods.

4. Don’t be lured away from trusted sites for payment

Travel fraudsters often direct consumers away from trusted booking platforms and request payment on separate, external sites, by tempting them with a better rate if they pay on a different platform. Consumers should keep all communications, bookings and payments on trusted platforms to help protect them from fraud.

5. Avoid clicking on email links

Unsolicited promotional emails can appear legitimate, but may include click-through links to fake websites designed to capture credentials. Avoid clicking on links sent via email with travel promotions like free airline tickets, frequent flyer points or warnings that there is an issue with your booking, as these are commonly used by scammers.

6. Look out for social media advertisements scams

Fake competition social media advertisements have also been known to defraud holidaymakers out of a fee to secure a vacation. Always double-check the account behind these advertisements by looking for the blue checkmark next to the account name which will let you know that the account is genuine, and be sure to report any fraudulent activity.

7. Don’t be rushed into booking 

Scammers frequently use language that makes travellers believe the offer is time-limited, to entice them to pay before researching the company. But, if a travel website is defrauding people, there is a high chance other consumers will have posted details of their experience, so be sure to verify the company’s legitimacy before making any purchases. Don’t just rely on one review – do a thorough online search to ensure the company is credible, especially when using third-party websites.

8. Cover your steps

When you make any online booking, always call the company afterwards to confirm. If there is no record of your booking, it’s better to know sooner rather than later. You’ll be able to alert your banking company, report the fraud, and still have time to book alternative reservations with the real deal.

Arianna Bago, Fraud Analyst, at Proxyrack has commented on how to prevent travel fraud when booking a vacation and the steps you should take if you fall victim:

“With domestic travel demand across the US forecast to reach pre-pandemic levels this year, online travel shoppers need to be extra vigilant as scammers are using increasingly sophisticated methods to target times of the year where demand is high and availability limited, as they know people will be looking for good deals. One scam becoming increasingly hard to spot is fake online shopping websites that mirror those of genuine companies. These sites are set up in order to obtain the payment card details of victims and steal their money, so consumers need to closely analyze the website’s URL before submitting any valuable personal information.

Fraudsters rely on urgency, often using deals and discounts to lure in potential victims alongside limited-time language to convince travelers to pay quickly. Whilst it sounds enticing to get an extra discount, it would be much worse to find out the deal was a scam, so be sure to research the company instead of rushing into any purchases. Further, when making any online travel purchase, you should always try to use a credit card. Consumers can dispute fraudulent charges made on their credit card, whereas funds stolen from prepaid debit cards and gift cards are pretty much impossible to get back.

Whilst there are steps consumers can take to protect themselves, ultimately thousands of people will fall victim to travel fraud this year. If you believe you have been conned, you should contact your local authorities. Do not delete any incriminating emails, texts, or messages and if possible take screenshots of any messages as they could be useful evidence if an investigation takes place. You also will need to contact your bank and/or credit card provider to report the fraudulent activity. Most banks have dedicated fraud teams to help in these situations and will be able to assist you.”