Don’t let spring break leave you broke

As spring break 2025 approaches, travel experts are predicting a significant increase in spending on premium vacations by families and college students.

This year, travelers are more eager than ever to embark on bucket list trips, adventure travel, and international destinations.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns consumers: this heightened interest in premium vacations presents a prime opportunity for scammers. Fraudulent vacation rentals, third-party booking sites, and travel agencies are on the rise, targeting those seeking great vacation deals.

“Given the increased expense of these vacations, caution is the key word,” said Steve J. Bernas, BBB president and CEO. “Consumers who do not do their due diligence when making their spring break travel plans and finalizing payments can end up falling directly into the hands of con artists.”

Following the trends, scammers often take advantage of consumer habits, observe internet searches, and then entice consumers with great deals on popular destinations or all-inclusive packages. While these frauds happen year-round, now is peak time.

“This year, 159 travel, vacation and timeshare-related scam reports have been filed in BBB Scamtracker, costing consumers nearly $55,000,” Bernas said.

The Federal Trade Commission reports nationwide in 2023, there were 55,000 reports of travel scams, and travelers lost more than $122 million.

“It all begins with planning, so you are not rushing to make last-minute arrangements,” Bernas said. “When you are in a hurry and may not have the time to verify you are booking with a legitimate location or business, that puts the scammer in the driver’s seat. Always verify and be sure to check for customer complaints or reviews on BBB.org.”

The five most reported travel scams are:

Vacation rental con

• These con artists lure in vacationers with the promise of low fees and great amenities. The “owner” creates a false sense of urgency — such as telling potential clients that another vacationer is interested in the rental — to get payment up front before doing sufficient research or questioning the legitimacy of the ad.

‘Free’ vacation scams

• When a cruise or travel company advertises a vacation as “free,” it does not necessarily mean the trip is without cost or restrictions. Watch out for add-on fees for air transportation, port charges, taxes, tips and other undisclosed fees.

Hotel scams

• When staying in a hotel, beware of scammers who use various techniques to obtain credit card information, including fake front desk calls, “free” wi-fi connections and fake food delivery.

Third-party booking site scams

• If you book your airfare, hotel, or other travel through a third-party website, be sure to use caution. BBB Scam Tracker continues to receive reports of scammers pretending to be online airline ticket brokers. In the most common version of the scam, travelers pay with a credit card and, shortly after making the payment, receive a call from the company asking to verify name, address, banking information or other personal details — something a legitimate company would never do.

Timeshare reselling cons

• A timeshare owner looking to sell gets a call from someone claiming to be a real estate broker or agent. These scammers claim to specialize in timeshare resales and promise they have buyers ready to purchase. To secure this service, the scammer pressures the target into paying an up front fee. The timeshare owner pays up, but the reselling agent never delivers.

To avoid a travel scam, BBB recommends prospective travelers follow these guidelines:

• Get trip details in writing. Before making a final payment, get all the trip details in writing. Details should include the total cost, restrictions, cancellation penalties, and names of the airlines and hotels. Also, review and keep a copy of the airline and hotel cancellation and refund policies, as well as the travel agency or booking site cancellation policies.

• “Too good to be true” deals. As is common in various scams, if the deal or discount seems too good to be true, it probably is. Scammers often use this tactic to lure in potential victims and use aggressive “limited time” language to entice travelers to pay before researching the business.

• Avoid wiring money or using a prepaid debit card. These payments are the same as sending cash. Once the money is sent, there is no way to get it back. Paying with a credit card offers greater protection and dramatically limits liability from a fraudulent purchase.

• Call the rental owner. If you are not using a service that verifies properties and owners, do not negotiate a rental solely by email. Many scammers do not live locally. Speaking with the owner on the phone and asking detailed questions about the property and local attractions will clarify whether the listing is genuine. An owner with vague answers is a clear red flag.

• Unsolicited offers. Be particularly cautious if you “win” a free trip without entering a contest or sweepstakes. This is especially true if the offer is time-sensitive and requires the consumer to accept and pay for the offer immediately or risk it going to another “winner.” Check the official website of the company the offer is originating from to verify that it is legitimate.

For more tips on how to avoid travel scams, visit BBB.org/Travel. Report travel scams to BBB Scam Tracker.