Avoid Falling for On-line Journey Scams With These Expert Ideas

Wallet Watch is a brand new sequence on defending your id and monetary well-being. For our subsequent installment — and simply in time for spring break — former secret service agent, creator and NBC News legislation enforcement analyst Evy Poumpouras stopped by the third Hour of TODAY to share ideas for avoiding falling for on-line journey scams.

You can do every part proper on your spring break journey and nonetheless get robbed earlier than you even go away your own home. Fraudsters and id thieves love this time of 12 months as a result of vacationers are rushed and distracted which creates the proper surroundings for scams.

Airports are packed. Hotels are reserving up. Families and school college students are making fast selections on their telephones. When individuals are shifting quick, they’re not evaluating threat. And scammers comprehend it.

Airlines anticipate to hold greater than 170 million passengers in March and April. According to the Federal Trade Commission, there have been greater than 58,000 reviews of journey, trip and timeshare plan fraud in 2024. That similar report put scams totaling $274 million with the standard loss per sufferer near $1,000.

Scammers don’t want you to be careless. They want you to not be paying shut consideration. Here’s what to look at for and easy methods to shield your self earlier than you guide your trip, whereas touring, and even after you get residence.

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Expert journey security ideas seen on third Hour of TODAY

Before you journey

• Beware of faux trip rental listings: Scammers copy actual photographs from authentic listings, value the property beneath market worth and stress you to “lock it in” shortly. They could put up them on locations like Facebook, Craigslist or Instagram making you assume it’s a significantly better deal. Then they ask you to pay outdoors the platform by means of wire transfers, comparable to Zelle, Venmo and even crypto. This can occur even on trusted websites like Airbnb and Vrbo the place they attempt to get you to pay outdoors the platform or transfer to direct messaging. Once you arrive, the property both doesn’t exist or isn’t yours to remain in.
• Avoid journey agent impersonators: Professional-looking web sites, polished emails and even faux customer support numbers can persuade vacationers they’re reserving a authentic airfare or trip bundle. You could obtain a faux itinerary or no reserving in any respect. They could even impersonate a recognized journey agent or company in an try to steal your private info comparable to your title, date of delivery, passport quantity and even banking particulars. Because the interplay appears genuine, many vacationers don’t query it till it’s too late to recuperate their funds.

How to guard your self earlier than you journey

• Keep all communication and funds on official platforms comparable to Airbnb or Vrbo. If somebody asks you to maneuver the dialog to textual content, WhatsApp or a private electronic mail, cease instantly.
• Avoid hard-to-reverse cost strategies. Wire transfers, present playing cards, cryptocurrency and peer-to-peer apps provide little safety if one thing goes flawed.
• Use a bank card for main journey purchases. Credit playing cards sometimes provide stronger fraud protections than debit playing cards.
• Slow down the urgency. “This deal expires in 10 minutes” or “Only 1 seat left” will not be customer support; it’s stress. Scammers depend on emotional decision-making to power victims to maneuver quick as a substitute of considering clearly.

TIP: The second somebody pressures you to behave quick, pause, take a breath and test that it’s authentic.

During journey

• Be cautious when becoming a member of Wi-Fi networks: At airports and inns, scammers create official WiFi hotspots with names almost similar to the true ones, comparable to “Airport Guest Wi-Fi” or “Hotel Guest 5G”. Sometimes WiFi names can be simply one letter or character different. Connecting to these fraudulent networks can expose your passwords, banking information or personal data.
• Beware of public charging risks (“juice jacking”): Compromised USB ports or cables in airports, hotel lobbies, rideshare vehicles or public charging stations can allow unauthorized access to your device while it’s charging. In some cases, that connection can install hidden malware or give someone remote control to your phone, tablet or computer without you realizing it.

How to protect yourself while you travel

• Guard your phone like your wallet.
• Verify hotel networks at the front desk before logging in.
• Use your cell phone hotspot rather than public Wi-Fi.
• Bring your own wall charger or portable power bank.

TIP: Turn off the auto join Wi-Fi feature on your device as your phone can sometimes confuse fraudulent sites from official ones.

After you travel scams

• Post-stay damage claims: After checkout, the host or someone posing as the property owner may claim you damaged the property, submit staged photos and issue inflated repair invoices, all designed to pressure you to pay quickly before you can dispute it. Often these images look legitimate as the scammers use AI to create them. If you pay without challenging the claim, you could lose hundreds of dollars for something you didn’t do.

How to protect yourself after you travel

• Document everything. Take video of the property both upon arrival as well as before your departure. The before video can show prior damage, if any. The after video proves you left no damage behind.
• Request itemized proof and timestamps of photos submitted by the scammer.
• Compare their photos with your own documentation.
• Keep all communication within the booking platform.
• Do not panic-pay to “make it go away.”

TIP: Create a strong 30-second walkthrough video capturing walls, appliances, furniture, even towels and sheets. This one habit can protect you from fraudulent damage or theft claims.

What to do if you’ve already been targeted:

• Call your bank or credit card company immediately.
• Change passwords and enable two-factor authentication.
• Monitor your accounts for unusual activity.
• Report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission and the booking platform.

Speed matters when it comes to limiting damage so make the time to protect yourself, your money and your identity.

TIP: Don’t panic or make fear-based decisions. Scammers try hard to frighten you into paying or else … Don’t take the bait.

Spring break should be about rest and connection, not recovering from fraud. The good news is that most scams follow predictable patterns. When you slow down, verify what you’re being asked to do and document everything, you remove the advantage scammers rely on.

Meet the expert

Our team features a range of qualified experts and contributors in our broadcast segments to reveal the latest in trends, remarkable sale events and all things shopping across a variety of categories.

• Evy Poumpouras is a former secret service agent, author and NBC News law enforcement analyst.

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