Nothing can ruin a vacation like being scammed. Whether you’re on a trip for business or pleasure, it’s important to be observant and watch out for online/telemarketing scams. Here are a few common scams that can happen on vacation, as originally posted by the Federal Trade Commission:
Pizza Flyer
Ordering pizza is always convenient when travelling. Unfortunately, scammers know this and have created a tactic to trick people into ordering pizza from a bogus business. They create flyers to stick underneath hotel room doors advertising a pizza delivery service and number to call. Once you call the number, place your order and give your credit card number, the person on the other line has all the information they need. As a result, you’ll never receive your pizza and you’re now vulnerable to credit card fraud. To avoid this, double check with the front desk to confirm that the pizza flyer is legitimate or ask the receptionist for any restaurant suggestions.
Phony Wi-Fi Networks
This popular scam takes the form of Wi-Fi networks. Hackers will create Wi-Fi networks that look convincingly like your hotel’s would. Once you sign in and use the network, the phishers and hackers will monitor your activity and access your information. Before connecting to a Wi-Fi network, ask the front desk which one belongs to the hotel.
Fake Front Desk Call
You’re in your room either getting ready for bed or already sleeping, when you receive a phone call claiming to be from the front desk. Apparently, there’s been a problem with your credit card and you need to confirm the card number over the phone. Once you confirm your card number you can go back to bed, but unfortunately you would wake up to find it wasn’t the receptionist you were talking to. If there is ever a problem with your credit card, the front desk would ask you to come downstairs and fix the problem in person.
For more common scams and how to avoid them, visit ITNews.com
