Avoid Travel Scams: Tips for a Safe and Stress-Free Summer Holiday

Dealing with travel scams can be incredibly frustrating when planning a holiday or exploring new places. The scams are constantly evolving and can be quite sophisticated, making them difficult to detect. 

Here are the most common types of holiday travel scams:

1.Copycat or phishing websites

When booking your vacation online, you could run across copycat websites or phishing websites that look very similar to the real ones. For example booking.com, where they can change the Os to zeros. It looks and reads the same, but it’s a scam. You want to be vigilant and double check the site’s authenticty!

2.Unexpected call or text

Scammers initiate contact by calling or texting, often pretending to represent a legitimate travel agency, airline, or hotel. They might inform you that you've won a free vacation or offer a heavily discounted travel package. The urgency in their message is designed to prevent you from thinking too carefully about the offer. 

3.Social media customer support scam

One common travel scam that’s currently taking over social media targets those who have had a recent flight change or cancellation. Travelers often reach out to airline’s accounts on social media to get issues resolved, but the accounts responding are actually scammers posing as these airlines. They use the airline's profile picture and bio, and they look trustworthy to unsuspecting travelers. 

4.“Pay us and we book it for you” scam

Let us be clear here, we’re NOT talking about travel agents here — reputable travel agent companies are good to work with, but some scam companies will ask for you to pay them to book your trip or excursion for you. Booking only with a reputable travel agent is the way to go here!

How to protect yourself?

Do your research, use only secure payment methods, verify all the details before you pay, and last but not least- trust your instinct! If something feels off, or it sounds too good to be true, it’s most likely a scam! 

How can Truecaller help?

Truecaller offers more than just our renowned Caller ID and spam-blocking features; we provide a fortress against fraud. Our technology helps you identify unknown calls and messages, allowing you to block scam attempts proactively, by both calls and texts. By using Truecaller, you ensure that only verified and legitimate communications reach you.

At Truecaller we have made it our mission to build trust in communication. We do our best to help you navigate a world where fraud and unwanted communication are a part of your daily life. Stay updated about recent scams, and watch the latest YouTube videos on how you and the 383 million-strong community of people using Truecaller every month can stay protected. You'll find us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.