Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer, is tomorrow, and many consumers may be looking forward to taking advantage of the holiday for sales, vacations (or staycations), or an excuse to get out and enjoy the summer weather. Unfortunately, holidays provide an opportunity for scammers to strike, often resulting in lost time, money or personal information. Holiday-themed scams often lure in consumers with deals on popular items, hotel or car rentals and all-inclusive travel packages that seem too good to be true.
In the 30 days leading up to Labor Day in 2021, over 3,500 scams were reported to BBB Scam Tracker from consumers across North America. More than 30% of reports detailed consumer interactions with online purchase scams resulting in over $500,000 lost. Consumers who reported experiencing a travel scam during this time lost an average of $480, and over 450 phishing scams were also reported.
To avoid fraud during the Labor Day weekend, Better Business Bureau recommends following these tips:
Verify the source of purchase and trust your instincts. According to the 2021 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report, 74% of consumers who avoided losing money to scammers felt something wasn’t right about the situation and proceeded to investigate further. Be sure to take the time to investigate a business or company thoroughly before making an order or reserving a rental. Check online for reviews and customer complaints at BBB.org.
Avoid opening emails or texts from unknown sources. If you receive communication from an unknown or unsolicited source that includes a link or downloadable file, exercise extreme caution when interacting with the email or text message. Downloading files from unverified sources may install malware on your electronic device, including mobile phones, tablets, or gaming systems.
Use multi-factor authentication. Some accounts offer additional security by requiring two or more credentials to access the personal information contained within. Often, this may be a security code sent via text message or email in addition to your regular password. BBB recommends establishing multi-factor authentication on your most sensitive accounts to make it harder for scammers to log in if they obtain your username and password through a phishing scam.
Get trip details in writing. Before making a final payment, get all the trip details in writing. This should include the total cost, restrictions, cancellation penalties, and names of the airlines and hotels. Also, review and keep a copy of the airline’s and hotel’s cancellation and refund policies and the cancellation policies of the travel agency or booking site used.
“Too good to be true” deals. As is common in various scams, if the deal or discount seems to be 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 and shoppers to pay before they can research the business.
To learn more about how to avoid some of the most common scams, visit BBB.org/AvoidScams.
