ST. LOUIS – Travel can be stressful when airports and roadways aren’t jam-packed with people hurrying home for the holidays. Mix in some Christmas craziness, and scammers can quickly cash in. The Better Business Bureau’s Sarah Wetzel warns consumers of cancellation scams.
“Consumers have told the Better Business Bureau that they received a text or an email saying their flight was cancelled, and they were provided a phone number to rebook their flight. When they called that number, the ‘airline’ was happy to rebook it, but there was an additional fee they had to pay. So then the consumer provided their personal and financial information only to find out their flight was never cancelled,” said Wetzel.
Should you receive one of these messages, the BBB recommends calling the airline directly or checking the airline’s official website or app to confirm the status of your flight. Sadly, Wetzel says the scam threat doesn’t end when you reach your destination.
“You think you’re in your hotel room relaxing, then the phone rings in their room; they said it was the front desk and that there was an issue with the card on file, so they needed to provide a new card number. If that happens to you, go directly to the front desk. You can’t trust those phone calls. You have no idea who it may be,” said Wetzel.
You also need to exercise caution when ordering food on the road.
“There are scammers that put fake menus in the hotel rooms. You’re hungry, especially if you have kids; you’re not thinking about double-checking it, but you need to,” said Wetzel.
Wetzel says the BBB has received reports from hotel guests who placed and paid for room service orders that never showed up. Those are just a few of the tactics to watch out for during your holiday travels.