Don't Get Suckered by Holiday Travel Scams

Nothing beats getting a great travel deal, right? And with the holidays fast approaching, it sure would be great to save some money. But what if your great travel deal turns out to be fraudulent? Travel scams abound, especially during the holidays. How do you spot them? How do you avoid them? What do you do if you’re caught in one? And once you do book a legitimate vacation, how do you protect that trip budget?

 

Check Point notes that out of more than 39,000 new vacation-related domains in May, 2025, one in every 21 were flagged as suspicious or malicious. These include phishing, fake offers and other scams.

 

According to The Federal Trade Commission, common ways you may receive travel scams include:

• Telephone calls
• Text messages
• Mail

 

Bank of Colorado identifies the most common travel scams. They are as follows:  

• “Free” Vacation Offers

These often claim you’ve won a free trip, but you must act now to get it. Usually, you’ll find these offers come with hidden fees that makes the trip far from free. Also, it is common for the company offering the free trip to suddenly cease to exist once they receive your money. 

 

• Robocalls About Vacation Deals

Such calls are against the law unless you have given explicit permission for them to contact you. These calls often offer deeply discounted vacation deals. The companies behind these calls are generally unethical at best and more times than not, scammers. 

 

• Fake Vacation Rentals

Scammers can create fake ads for vacation rentals or even take over legitimate listings. Those who fall prey to this scam often find themselves paying for a vacation spot that doesn’t exist, or even finding double or even triple bookings.

 

• Fraudulent Travel Agencies

Bad actors can disguise themselves as legitimate travel agencies that are offering discounted vacation packages, flights, hotel reservations, etc. It’s common for these scammers to apply pressure for you to make a decision now because these “deals” are going fast. But once you make payment, they’re the ones that go away fast, leaving you poorer.  

 

• Fake Flight Cancellations

Proceed cautiously if you get a text or email stating that your flight has been cancelled and that you need to call a number (provided in the text or email) to rebook. These phone numbers inevitably connects you to fake agents who will ask for your credit card information in order to rebook your flight. Always call the airline directly (not using the contact number on the scam email or text) to verify if the flight has actually been cancelled. Chances are, the airline will tell you that your flight is still scheduled and that the communication you received was not from them.

 

• International Travel Document Scams

Scammers have been known to mimic official government websites, offering to help you obtain travel documents like visas or passports. Be careful because these sites often charge fees for services that are free through official government channels.

 

• International Driving Permit Scams

Always get International Driving Permits (IDPs) only from the American Automobile Association (AAA). If you get IDPs from any other entity besides the AAA, it is a scam. IDPs are required for driving in some foreign countries. If you are caught using a fake IDP in a foreign country you could run into legal trouble.  

 

• Charter Flight Scams

Stay vigilant if looking to book a private charter flight that include lodging and sightseeing tours. These could be scams where you find out too late that the flights were never booked, or that the company offering the deal was fictitious. Don’t make payments of any kind to these companies until after you’ve checked with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s list of approved charter flight companies.

 

How do I avoid falling prey to travel scams?

The Federal Trade Commission provides three ways to avoid getting caught in a travel scam. They are as follows:

• Don’t pay any money or sign any documents until the terms are made clear 
  • Get a copy of the cancellation and refund policies before you pay
  • If you are unable to get  the details you need, decline the offer
  • Don’t be rushed into making a decision without proper consideration
     
• Do your due diligence
  • Google search the company making the offer with the word “scam” or “complaint”
  • Verify that the address of the company is accurate and that it is a real location
  • If the company in question is located on a resort, call said resort and confirm details with the front desk

 

• Never pay anyone who requires payment be made in cryptocurrency, gift cards or via wire transfer
  • The above-mentioned payment types represent a red flag and a potentially fraudulent offer
  • Making payment via wire transfer, gifts cards, cryptocurrency or other similar type means you’ll lose your money with no way to track it if something goes wrong later

 

In addition to the above information, the Federal Trade Commission’s article offers additional details about scams and how to steer clear of them. If you are interested in learning more, check out their article.

 

What do I do if I fall victim to a travel scam?

Avoiding becoming a vacation-scam victim is important. But what if you’ve fallen prey to one? According to City National Bank, you should:

• Document everything
• Report to the authorities
• Inform your bank or credit card company
• Change any affected passwords
• Monitor all affected accounts
• Share your experience
• Learn and grow to avoid repetition of this experience

 

How do I hedge against the financial risk of losing my vacation funds?

So far in this article, we’ve identified common travel scams, how to avoid them and what to do if we fall victim to one. But there’s another kind of risk that needs addressing, one not related to scams specifically. What if you book a legitimate trip, but end up being unable to take said excursion due to unforeseeable circumstances. As you know, vacations don’t come cheap. If you can’t go on a planned trip, what happens to your nonrefundable purchases already made?

 

Here’s the sad news, your funds will likely never be recouped unless you’ve protected your vacation fund by obtaining suitable travel insurance.* Some situations where travel insurance can cover you include:

• If you can’t go on your trip because of natural disasters like hurricanes, tsunamis or tornadoes
• Not going on your trip due to a death in family or personal illness
• Being unable to take your vacation because your destination becomes politically unstable
• If you become injured or need medical assistance while on your trip
• If you test positive for coronavirus and need to be quarantined for an extended stay at your vacation destination

 

Where do I get travel insurance protection?

You could certainly do your own research, contact insurance carriers who offer travel insurance protection, get quotes from them and compare different plans. But who has the time for all that? Plus, how do you know if you’re comparing apples to apples or if you’re even being quoted protection that meets your needs and budget?

 

That’s where insurance aggregators like Travel Insurance Center^® come into play. Travel Insurance Center doesn’t represent just one insurance company, but can offer solutions from a number of top insurance carriers. Plus, they do the research on your behalf, ensuring that you are presented with suitable coverage for your specific budget and needs.

 

How much does it cost to use Travel Insurance Center?

That’s the best part! The Travel Insurance Experts at Travel Insurance Center do all the research on your behalf in order to get you the best coverage possible – and they do it all at no cost to you. That’s because they get paid directly from the insurance carrier when you purchase a policy.

 

What does the no-cost aspect mean to you? It means you get an honest quote with no pressure or obligation to purchase.

 

Two takeaways from this article:

• Be wary of travel scams, especially during the upcoming holiday travel season
  • Know how to spot them
  • Know how to avoid them
  • Know what to do if you do fall for one
• Protect your trip with suitable travel protection from a reputable source like Travel Insurance Center

 

Call 1.866.979.6753 to get a quote from a Travel Insurance Expert at Travel Insurance Center. They would be happy to do the work on your behalf to find suitable coverage that meets your needs and budget.

 

*Travel insurance only provides protection for legitimate travel fund coverage. It does not provide protection against travel insurance scams, or fraudulent/malicious events.

 

Travel Insurance Center is operated by Senior Market Sales LLC, a licensed insurance marketing organization. Insurance services provided by Senior Market Sales LLC. This is a solicitation.