With the December holidays just a few months away, travellers are already planning their annual summer getaway and are often on the look-out for great travel deals.
However, people are warned to be extra vigilant as travel fraudsters like to take advantage of those looking for a good deal at this time of year.
According to Otto de Vries, CEO Association of Southern African Travel Agents (ASATA), December holidays are often when the association notices a spike in the number of travellers whose holiday plans have gone awry because they’ve fallen prey to an unscrupulous travel provider.
‘Victims often only discover they’ve been duped just before they’re due to travel,’ explains de Vries.
‘Not only are they likely to have lost the money they’ve paid for their holiday. Arranging a replacement booking during the peak holiday seasons, means you pay much more than you bargained for by not ensuring you’ve entrusted your holiday plans in the hands of a reputable travel provider.’
Also read: 7 travel scams to watch out for
And we’re not alone in South Africa when it comes to travel fraudsters. According to the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), Brits were subjected to over £7 million (R127m plus) in travel scams in 2018.
The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA ) claims there are 500 hotel bookings every minute in the US alone, with one out of four travellers falling victim to a scam.
Stay in the safe zone, safeguard your holiday and follow these tips to ensure, this holiday, you travel with peace of mind.
Steer clear of ‘incredible’ flight deals
They’re ‘incredible’ for a reason. Unusually low flight prices are probably one of the most common travel scams out there, says fraud specialist Christo Snyman, director of Forensic Services at Mazars.
‘As this is often the first thing travellers book, it’s the easiest way to lure travel scam victims,’ he says.
Fraudsters will target travellers with flight deals that sound too good to be true, either online or via phone, but these deals don’t exist. Sometimes scamsters will offer free flights on social media platforms to steal personal information.
Luana Visagie, Club Travel Marketing Manager, says it’s best to ensure you are working with an accredited travel agent which is both ASATA and International Air Transport Association (IATA) registered. ‘It’s essential to check these memberships and accreditations out and not just accept that an ASATA or IATA logo on a website or social media page is legit.’
Time-sensitive offers
It’s not unusual for budget travellers to encounter a large number of time-sensitive airline tickets and travel packages. Many of them are legitimate, as travel suppliers want to fill empty seats or rooms at the last minute.
Always reconsider an offer that must be booked immediately, however. And be especially vigilant if it’s for a departure date at least 60 days in the future as most chargebacks must be filed within 60, 90 or 120 calendar days of the transaction.
‘As a general rule, think twice when a travel supplier which pushes urgency continuously when you’re consulting with them to book your holiday,’ says de Vries.
The devil is in the detail
You may find, when buying a travel package, that the name of your travel agent or provider is different to the name on your itinerary or vouchers. This is not unusual if you are buying your travel through a travel agent, as the agent may have a special relationship with a particular travel supplier, which has benefits for the customer.
But there are instances where you could find yourself chatting to a telemarketer whose main focus is to make a travel sale to please a vendor and not you. Names could also be different to avoid responsibility for the product in the event of a claim or legal challenges.
Because this one is a tricky one to identify, you want to make 100% sure you have everything in writing before proceeding with any purchases, says Snyman. ‘Travellers have the right to know the details of payment and suppliers,’ he adds.
‘An ASATA-accredited agent will ensure you have the full details of your itinerary, including all suppliers involved and a written contract before any payments are made,’ says de Vries.
Wonky websites and funny links
Most people are pretty good at determining whether a website is a dud or not, but if you’re in a hurry to nab that deal, it can be an easy thing to miss.
It’s a favourite fraudster trick to use fake websites for bookings and send imitation airline tickets. Ensure you are on a secure website and not a ‘spoof’ site by clicking on the security icon on your browser tool bar to see that the URL begins with https rather than http.
‘Don’t just trust someone’s website,’ warns Snyman. ‘Always double-check whether the agent or supplier has a fixed address, landline, and proper business email address.’
Alarm bells should go off if you’re being asked to pay either via bank transfer or to click off a secure site to pay on another platform.
Travellers can take some precautions by ensuring they register for 3D Secure to secure their card details, says de Vries. ‘Don’t click links requesting to confirm your banking or personal details,’ he adds.
Visagie adds: ‘It’s always advisable to pay for your travels by credit card because charges can be disputed and reversed through”‘chargeback” if services are not rendered.’
Travellers can visit asata.co.za and click on the ‘Find a Member’ menu item to check whether their travel provider is an ASATA member.
Image credit: Unsplash
