Travel scams are constantly evolving.
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The good news: our travel accounts are protected better than ever before, thanks to advances in verification and security technology. Plus, many travelers are more aware of fraudulent activity than they were ten years ago.
The bad news: scammers are constantly coming up with new ways to divest travelers of a few dollars… if not a few hundred. Also, travel scams come in all shapes and sizes—and they can happen at the airport, at a taxi stand, or even at the car rental kiosk.
If you’re traveling this summer and want to stay on top of the latest ploys, you can use a recent study published by McAfee, a security firm that specializes in cybercrimes. According to new research from McAfee, one in three travelers has faced a scam. Here’s what to look out for based on the firm’s experience and research.
Inside the McAfee study, plus scams to avoid this summer
McAfee found that 38% of travelers have faced a scam. Of that total, 41% have lost money to swindlers… unfortunately, 48% of those who lost money said goodbye to more than $500.
According to the security firm, the top travel scam threatening Americans this summer is impersonations of travel apps. TripAdvisor, Kayak, Expedia, and Booking.com are the most common platforms used by scammers.
Here’s how it works: Scammers send you a message via text or email showing that you can save a lot on a rental, tour, hotel, or other travel experience. Then send you a link, then you book it so as not to lose out. In reality, you’ve been sent to a fake app or website. Not only did you not get your booking, but you’ve sent money straight to a scammer.
But that’s just one of a handful of travel scams aimed at Americans. According to McAfee, these are the scams that many fall for:
- Fake travel deals or promotions (15%)
- Scam booking confirmations and travel updates (15%)
- Manipulated or misleading accommodation listings (15%)
- Payment requests outside official platforms (11%)
- Fake vacation rental listings (10%)
- Fake airline or hotel websites (10%)
- Impersonation of airline or hotel customer service (9%)
If you want to reduce risk this summer, McAfee has four pieces of advice. First, avoid using public Wi-Fi unless you have a VPN. Second, Book directly with airlines, hotels, etc—not on a third-party OTA like Expedia. Third, be cautious of any rushed deals or offers. Fourth, use cyber-tools like McAfee’s Scam Detector to verify links, messages, and QR codes.
