Take precautions when traveling this summer | Better Business Bureau

Published 3:42 pm Tuesday, June 16, 2015

With summer just around the corner, Washingtonians are making vacation plans. According to 2012 statistics from the U.S. Travel Association, 23 percent of domestic leisure travelers relied on friends and relatives to plan their trips, while 31 percent utilized their own past experiences.

More than 32 million passengers traveled through Seatac International Airport in 2014, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The top three U.S. destination airports for Seatac travelers in 2014 were Los Angeles, San Francisco and Anchorage.

Don’t let scammers turn a relaxing getaway into a nightmare. BBB urges consumers to be on guard against these common scams:

• Online Booking: When booking a vacation online, it is always safer to go directly to a hotel or airline’s website. Do not click on ads or links from emails. Only use secure sites with a web address starting in “https” and showing a lock icon. Always pay with a credit card; never wire cash.
• Vacation Packages: Watch out for potentially fraudulent vacation packages. If a cruise or resort price sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Victims could be saddled with hundreds or thousands of dollars in additional fees, or the accommodations may not be as promised.
• Public Wi-Fi: While traveling, beware of using hotel, airport or other public Wi-Fi. Scammers can easily access personal computers or smart phones on these public networks. Also be cautious of hotel lobby computers available for guest use. Identity thieves are known to add keyloggers onto public computers to track passwords.
• Front Desk Calls: Scammers may pretend to be calling from the hotel’s front desk to verify your credit card information. Don’t give out your personal information on the phone; instead, visit the front desk in person.
• Phony Menus: Hotel guests should carefully scrutinize any menus slipped under their doors. Instead of ordering takeout, unsuspecting consumers may be giving their credit card information to identity thieves.
• Social Media: Travelers should avoid sharing vacation photos while their homes are unoccupied. Thieves may use social media to obtain personal information about travel plans. It’s safer to wait until returning home before posting.

Consider hiring a BBB Accredited travel agency to help plan and book a vacation. They have access to promotions and savings that aren’t available to the general public. They can also provide expert advice, recommendations and assistance if something goes wrong.