With an increase in travel this summer comes the increased potential for fraudulent activities.
They’re called scammers. And AAA issued a warning about them.
This one is a telephone scam, and preys on people who are vulnerable because of delayed or canceled flights.
AAA booking data reveals that international travel is up more than 200 percent compared to 2022. Hotel bookings are seeing the biggest jump, up more than 300 percent over last year. Unfortunately, the spike in demand is driving up airfare. Ticket prices for international trips have increased more than 30 percent, yet travelers aren’t hesitating when it comes to booking international getaways.
With more money being spent comes the potential for more unscrupulous people.
The scam specifically targets people who search for an airline’s phone number online because their flight has been canceled or delayed. Those fake phone numbers lead callers to an unrelated, third party that will ask for reservation information and credit card numbers to pay for a “service fee” or price difference between flights. In some cases, those fees are hundreds of dollars. AAA wants members, and all travelers, to be aware of these types of scams to avoid falling victim.
There are easy ways to do this.
For instance, just go straight to a gate agent if you are at the airport. Before leaving on your trip, download the airlines app to your phone or take down the 800 number and keep it in your phone. Remember that airlines will not charge you to change a delayed or canceled flight at anybody who tries to do so is a fraud.
But perhaps the easiest and most important way comes at the urging of AAA – use a reputable and professional travel advisor. They are the true troubleshooters and have plenty of contacts.
A travel advisor will be there for you in the event something goes wrong. Working with a trusted travel advisor from the start ensures you're taken care of throughout the entire vacation process.
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