“Don’t let a scammer ruin your summer vacation,” is the message from Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, in the face of the growing wave of victims who have paid thousands of dollars for their dream vacations and have had to stay home .
“If you stay one step ahead of the scammers, you can enjoy your vacations,” advises the prosecutor, who directs the alert to those who buy their tickets and tourist packages online, at a time like “summer, which is a popular time to travel”.
According to the Prosecutor, the state experiences the massive arrival and departure of tourists due to the vacations that many decide to take while we are going through the summer season.
According to a recent Business of apps report, annual travel bookings on online apps in 2022 surpassed all-time records, with bookings reaching $798 billion.
A business where scammers found an opportunity to create sophisticated new methods to rob unsuspecting travelers of large sums of money.
Melanie Yusta, a travel agent, clarifies: “the recommendation for clients is to use travel agencies since we have systems that go directly with the airlines.”
But for those who prefer to make reservations on their own, keep in mind the risks.
“They can access sites that are fake, pirate sites, that ask for customer information, their personal data, their accounts and can even issue fake tickets,” warns the travel agent.
To prevent this from happening to you, apply the following tips before making your reservation:
- Thoroughly research the website and verify the legitimacy of the company before purchasing.
- Check that websites have a lock next to the URL.
- If you can, pay with a credit card. Financial institutions offer additional protection.
- And finally, beware of discounts that seem too good to be true.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of online scams related to airline purchases or travel plans, you can report it by calling 1(866) 9no-scam or visiting myfloridalegal.com
