From bogus travel deals, to vacation rental scams, you could be a target this summer if you don’t know what to look for.
Here are the top scams that spike as the temperatures rise in this seven news Scam Watch.
Summer.
It’s a time of rest and relaxation, until something more ominous looks to spoil your big travel plans.
FREE CRUISE & AIR TRAVEL
“I got an email and they were offering a free cruise and a free airline travel,” said Joyce Colligan who was hoping to snag a good vacation deal.
“I got his check, it was sent to me priority mail, I deposited it,” said Elizabeth Bagley who was only looking to rent her property.
Both were targets of scams that spike during the summer.
VACATION DISCOUNTS
Hope Evans with the Better Business Bureau warns this time of year bogus online vacation discounts are rampant. She says do your research before you click.
“You want to make sure that’s a reputable company because a lot of these adds online are scams,” said Evans.
Colligan says she looked into it, and then thought better.
“When they’re giving away so many free things, it can’t be true,” said Colligan.
RENTAL SCAMS
Rental scams also heat up when the temps rise, often with photos stolen from real listings.
Or in Bagley’s case, the renter is the target.
“It ended up being a huge scam that I would have lost a ton of money on, and I just kept calling the bank and they were like, no it’s not there yet, it’s not clear yet,” said Bagley.
JOB SCAMS
Job scams are also common right now with so many college kids looking for summer work. Scammers are hoping they fill out their social security numbers on bogus applications.
CONCERT TICKETS
Finally, don’t let those online ticket deals fool you. Concert scams may leave you paying up but denied entry to your favorite show.
No-matter what your travel plans are this summer, if any deal seems too good to be true, keep your distance.