Cancun, Panama City Beach, Florida, and South Padre Island, Texas are the most popular college vacation destinations, but it isn’t all fun and games.
In this Healthy Living, Whitney Amann had some scams to be on the lookout for during your time away.
By plane, by car, by boat, there are so many ways to get away. Over half of people will travel during spring break. That means there will be over half a million people at risk for travel fraud.
In the last few years, there’s been a 16% growth in travel fraud. So be sure to protect your money when you go out.
Travel sales director, Bob Cook said, “Watch out for giving your credit card to just anybody. Just give it to the hotel clerk.”
One of the most common scams is taxis. They overcharge passengers with fees and take you on the least direct routes. To avoid, find a shuttle to your hotel or use your own map app and tell the driver the route you want to go. And online home bookings like VRBO and Airbnb may not be what you think they are.
Cook said, “They will show these gorgeous pictures of the property and when you get there either the property is being repaired, it’s next to a dump, your room overlooks to garbage pickup area or an alley.”
Now, Airbnb does not release payment to homeowners until 24 hours after the renter checks in, but to avoid any of this, cook says to “plan ahead! That’s how you avoid being taken advantage of when you’re on your vacation.”
Plus, a friendly local may strike up a conversation and though your wallet and valuables are safe your tab may be higher than expected, so don’t open one!
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