Vacations, by definition, are meant to be relaxing. You should return renewed and invigorated, not the victim of a scam. Scammers target everyone, so consumers need to stay vigilant, including when on vacation.
Below are a few ways you could fall victim to a scam and ways to prevent that from happening. These scams include sophisticated digital risks that weren't a problem just a few years ago.
Losing your ID
Protecting your identification includes keeping track of your wallet and personal information. It means destroying or securing used boarding passes or travel records that have personal information on them. It also means not logging into Wi-Fi connections unless you know they are trustworthy.
Airports, restaurants and hotels typically have low internet security, and it's easy for scammers to open imitation Wi-Fi accounts in public spaces.
Your best bet? Don't log into these accounts at all, and definitely don't use free Wi-Fi to check in with your financial institution.
Advertising your absence
Traditional precautions are still worth taking. For example, don't let the mail or the paper pile up. Put a vacation stop in at the post office and the newspaper. Ask a trusted neighbor to keep an eye on the place.
Also, hold off on your virtual brag book. Avoid the temptation to advertise your absence on social media. Wait until you get home to post your vacation photos or even mention the trip. Don't worry, your friends will still be envious.
Renting a car/booking a flight: Questionable sources
Shopping on the internet can be convenient, quick and easy. It also can be risky or, at the very least, disappointing. It is true reputable agencies offer great deals on the web, but so do their counterfeits. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Aside from listening to your gut, a surefire way to check someone's credentials is run your investigation with the Better Business Bureau. BBB Accredited Businesses must adhere to BBB’s 8 Standards for Trust, including advertise honestly, be transparent and honor promises.
Becoming a winner
When you cash in on a trip you've won online or in the mail, you may find you're actually losing. Generally, if you’ve truly won something, it will be given to you as a gift. Be especially leery if you didn’t enter a contest.
Double-check suspicious prizes and be careful about parting with money to receive your "free" gift. For example, ABC News followed up on an offer for a free trip and ended up attending a 90-minute high-pressure sales pitch. Hundreds of dollars in activation fees later, there was still no free trip.
Now that our lives have moved to a digital platform and scammers have become more advanced, it's difficult to distinguish between reputable businesses and rip-offs.
However, the digital tools they use to infiltrate society can be used to protect us. All it takes is a few quick clicks, so double-check any business's credentials online, and use your head to enjoy your vacation this summer.
For more than 100 years, BBB has helped people make smarter decisions and is evolving to meet fast changing marketplace needs.
- BBB sets standards for ethical business behavior and monitors compliance.
- Almost 400,000 Accredited Businesses meet and commit to our high standards.
- BBB helps consumers identify trustworthy businesses, and those that aren’t, through more than 4 million BBB Business Reviews.
- BBB sets standards for and evaluates thousands of advertisements each year to ensure that people can trust what advertisers say.
- BBB sets standards for and evaluates the practices of thousands of charities so that donors know where their money is going. BBB coaches businesses on ethical behavior and how to build stronger, more trusting relationships with their customers.
See more at http://www.bbb.org/kansas-city/get-to-know-us/about-us/#sthash.GMOVXfWw.dpuf.
