Watch Out For Those Honeymoon Travel Scams
As travel returns to normal, so do honeymoon travel scams.
Unfortunately, as honeymoon travel demand has increased, so has travel-related fraud. There’s nothing worse than realizing the honeymoon you thought you were getting isn’t what you wanted!
Be Alert For Fraud
For example, some fraud perpetrators posing as airline employees call would-be victims to try to elicit credit card numbers. Other scam artists send phishing emails that appear to offer cheap seats or rooms. And there are plenty of fake websites masquerading as legitimate travel companies.
As you plan your next trip, take these steps to avoid those honeymoon travel scams:
Ignore unsolicited communications. If you receive an email, text, flyer, or telemarketing call with a travel bargain, it’s probably smart to ignore it. Afraid of missing out on a deal? Directly contact the airline, hotel, or rental car company featured in the promotion.
Book with established companies. This is the best way to avoid honeymoon travel scams. Whether traveling for business or pleasure, make reservations with companies whose names you know.
If you’re booking with a new service provider, read online reviews by fellow travelers. Some review platforms allow you to search using keywords, others identify keywords frequently used by reviewers and allow you to filter for those reviews.
Also, perform an online search with the name of the company and words such as “honeymoon”, “fraud” or “scam.”
Watch out for lodging scams. Many couples use online property marketplaces to find lodging, and then run into honeymoon travel scams. But you need to scrutinize listings. Some fraud perpetrators post ads for nonexistent properties with enticing, below-market rates. If a “property owner” asks you to move the conversation off the site to avoid fees, refuse the request. Reputable platforms provide some protections, such as insurance in the event the transaction results in fraud. They also include credit card protection.
Work with trusted services. This is another way to avoid honeymoon travel scams. If you travel frequently or don’t have time to research trips, consider engaging a travel advisor or travel agent. These professionals maintain close working relationships with legitimate companies, know about the latest deals, may be able to provide insider tips about your destination, and can make reservations for you.
Wedding Show Honeymoon Travel Scams
Following the wedding show, you get bombarded with telephone calls from companies who claim that you’ve won a free honeymoon. While a free honeymoon may sound exciting, the sad truth is that these companies that claim to give away honeymoons, are just trying to sell you something.
In exchange for purchasing several thousands of dollars worth of stuff, they’ll send you off to a mediocre resort where you can endure countless timeshare presentations on what you thought was going to be your honeymoon.
Rather than offering couples a valuable service, these honeymoon travel scams have racked up countless online complaints and duped more than one couple into believing they were getting something that they weren’t. Now many couples are leery when attending a wedding show, suspicious of anyone offering honeymoons.
Get To Recognize The Red Flags
Work with trusted services. If you travel frequently or don’t have time to research trips, consider engaging a travel advisor or travel agent. These professionals maintain close working relationships with legitimate companies, know about the latest deals, may be able to provide insider tips about your destination, and can make reservations for you.
Here are some big red flags to avoid a honeymoon travel scam.
If they ask you to pay in cash for your trip, run!! It’s probably a honeymoon travel scam. Your credit or debit card offers the most protection. Never pay a travel agent in cash for your trip. In some states, it’s even illegal for a travel agent to take cash for your travel package.
If they ask you to purchase something to get a free trip, run! It’s probably a honeymoon travel scam. A legitimate travel company will not try to sell you household items in exchange for a “free trip”.
If they only recommend one resort chain and don’t seem to know about anything else, this is a big red flag. It’s probably a honeymoon travel scam. If an agent is only offering one resort chain, they’re working in their best interests, not yours.
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