Last Minute Travel Scams

If you’re looking to squeeze in one more summer trip, be cautious—while great travel deals exist online, so do scammers eager to cash in on your vacation plans.

Criminals set up look-alike travel websites in hopes you will book with them rather than the intended company. And just because the link showed up when you searched “travel deals” doesn’t mean it can automatically be trusted. Scammers often buy paid promotions for their bogus travel sites, so they appear high up in search rankings.

Before hitting ‘confirm’ on that deal, make sure you really know who you are doing business with. Research a new-to-you travel site before booking by searching the company’s name along with the words “scam,” “complaint,” or “review” to read about other people’s experiences. And pay with a credit card, which offers stronger protections than other forms of payment.

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

With about 1 million members in Virginia, AARP is the largest organization working on behalf of people age 50-plus and their families in the Commonwealth. To learn more about how AARP Virginia is working in your community, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aarpvirginia and follow @AARPVa on X at www.X.com/aarpva.

 

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media.