SAN ANTONIO — Spring break is next month, and when college students shell out money to party it up, it is another opportunity for scammers to make spring break a spring bust.
If you haven't started making your spring break plans or are tying up loose travel plans the Better Business Bureau says you need to keep a look out for special offers that seem to be too inexpensive.
Jason Meza, the San Antonio BBB spokesperson told us, "The too good to be true deals. The travel sites that are offer bargain basement deals. Those are the ones you should watch out for, especially this time of year."
In 2022 the BBB's Scam Tracker found U.S. consumers lost a median amount of $620 per scam. The FTC's Consumer Sentinel Network reports, travel-related fraud cost U.S. consumers over $105 million in losses, and accounted for 16 percent of all fraud to the agency in 2022.
Meza added, "Cybercriminals take advantage and either duplicate, imitate, or hijack those vacation rentals, pass them off as their own, and try to collect a deposit from a supposed renter before you actually get there."
Experian says to avoid travel scams, look for the following red flags.
- Are the destination price and pictures too good to be true?
- Hit pause before you act.
- Pay with a credit card.
- Run it all by travel companions for their opinion.
- Only book through reputable sites.
- And consider working with a travel agent and getting travel insurance.
"Be willing to pay a little extra for fully refundable flights or accommodations. Your plans may change last minute. An unexpected weather event or anything else might prompt you to buy travel insurance," said Meza.
The BBB also offers tips and free business profiles for destinations you may be considering.