BBB warns of Spring Break travel scams

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — In just a few weeks, millions of Americans will pack their bags for Spring Break.

The Better Business Bureau is warning: don’t let scammers ruin your fun.

“Scams are up, with the consumer losing $122 million to travel scams,” said BBB Regional Director Dennis Horton.

He said premium vacations, like adventure vacations or international travel, are expected to be especially popular this year — and fraudsters are looking to take advantage.

“Scammers know that’s where the money is. So they are tracking the kinds of vacations that people are taking and now they are posting vacations for those premium types of vacations,” Horton said.

The most common Spring Break vacation scams are for property rentals, according to Horton. “A post for a vacation rental, a condo, a home that looks absolutely fantastic and at a price that’s too good to be true. [The victims] go ahead and rent this and then find out that either the property doesn’t exist or … they show up and knock on the door … and are told by the owners that it’s not for rent.”

Other scams include fraudulent third-party airline booking sites, hidden fees, and fake hotel front desk calls.

Horton advises travelers protect themselves by doing due diligence research before hand.