Keep an eye out for the latest travel scams

DO YOUR HOMEWORK. If you are planning to rent or use a travel booking agency, do some research before working with them. Search for the company’s name online, along with words like “scam,”

“review” or “complaint” and see what pops up. Also check for complaints on the BBB website. “If you’re looking at a car rental company that you haven’t heard of, and it’s a great deal, be

skeptical — especially if they tell you to act now because it’s such a great price,” Weisman says. Ask people you know and trust for referrals. BE CAUTIOUS OF TRAVEL BUSINESSES THAT ASK YOU

TO PAY BEFORE CONFIRMING RESERVATIONS. “Most reputable travel agents will confirm before payment,” says the Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division. And stick with reputable

companies. AVOID USING SEARCH TERMS LIKE “CHEAP RENTAL CARS.” Words like “cheap” can draw a higher number of bogus companies among your search results. And sometimes phony companies can

appear higher in search results than real companies, says Weisman. A scammer might purchase an ad for the phony website, for example, which places it near the top of the search. CONFIRM WHO

REALLY OWNS A VACATION RENTAL. “Search online for the rental location’s address, together with the name of the property owner or rental company,” the FTC suggests. “If other ads come up for

the same address but with a different owner or rental company name, that’s a sign of a scam.” When Weisman wanted to rent a place on Cape Cod, he went to the tax assessor’s website. “The

name of the person who was supposedly renting it to me wasn’t the name of the owner,” he says. “That’s always a good indication that it’s not legitimate.” NEVER PAY FOR TRAVEL SERVICES OR

RENTALS WITH A GIFT CARD OR BY WIRING MONEY. Scammers want you to pay this way — or with cryptocurrency — because “once they’ve collected the money, it’s almost impossible to get it back,”

the FTC states. It’s safest to pay with a credit card, which has more protections than even debit cards. The same is true with services like Zelle and Venmo, adds Weisman. “They should never

be used for commercial transactions, because they lack the fraud protection of a credit card,” he says. BE WARY OF WI-FI. Whether you’re at an airport or a coffee shop, connecting to public

Wi-Fi can expose your personal information to hackers. Instead, connect to the internet via your smartphone’s hot spot or purchase a virtual private network (VPN), which encrypts your

data. AVOID THIRD-PARTY VISA PROGRAMS. Americans are required to obtain visas when visiting certain countries, such as India and Australia. Third-party websites often promise to provide

visas quickly for a fee, but many are scams that seek not only cash but personal information for identity theft. Instead, go to the U.S. State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs website.

You’ll find procedures and links for the countries you’re planning to visit. AARP has more information on overseas travel scams here. WHAT TO DO IF YOU’VE BEEN TARGETED IN A TRAVEL SCAM *

Report scams to local law enforcement and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov). Not every complaint leads to enforcement action, but the information can help officials

spot trends and sometimes identify the criminals. * FOR SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE call the free AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline, 877-908-3360, to speak with trained specialists who can share

information on what to do next and how to avoid future scams. The AARP Fraud Watch Network also offers online group support sessions.