Tag: love

Did you hear about the woman who was scammed out of her $15,000 Carnival cruise? A day before the family was supposed to board, Tiffany found the trip she’d spent a year planning had been canceled … and not by her. 

Carnival told her the $12,000 room she’d booked had been reserved — and then refunded — under someone else’s name. Ouch.

How’d it happen? 

Tiffany posted her cruise tickets, including her booking reference number, on Facebook. The very same day, a scammer made a brand-new Carnival account using Tiffany’s confirmation number, and then they canceled the booking and cashed out.

Carnival traced the swindler’s IP address to somewhere in British Columbia, but they couldn’t uncover their full identity. No, Tiffany and her fam didn’t make it on the boat.

Summer travel season’s in full swing, and crooks would love to pull one over on you. You’ve worked way too hard this year to let your vacation get ruined by a scumbag. That’s why I’ve pulled together these nine tricky travel traps to avoid:

1. Don’t post about your travel plans before you go. It screams, “Rob me!”
2. Watch for fake booking sites and bogus trip insurance. Go directly to a company’s official website to make arrangements.
3. Don’t tell strangers where you’re staying. It’s fun to make friends on vacation, but even if someone seems trustworthy, you never know.
4. Don’t take unofficial rides, even if a car looks like a taxi. Reserve your transportation in advance, use a rideshare app or ask the airport info desk where to find the official taxi service.
5. Don’t fall for the “broken” meter. Shady cab drivers will tell you their meter is busted and charge you an insane amount. Check the meter before the ride starts. If your driver tells you it’s broken, ask them to reset it. If they can’t, hop out and get another cab.
6. Watch out for money-exchange skimmers. If you need local currency in another country, use an ATM at an official bank, not a tourist area. Use your credit card wherever you can for more protection.
7. Avoid public free Wi-Fi. Scammers create fake Wi-Fi hotspots, hacking into whoever jumps on. Always verify the Wi-Fi name with an employee before you connect. Crooks often use names very similar to the official Wi-Fi to trick people.
8. Watch your bags — even in the hotel. Scammers will start a scene while you’re checking in while another steals your bags. Always keep an eye on your luggage, and stay calm if someone approaches you.
9. No such thing as a “free” photo. If you’re approached by a person in costume or at a famous attraction and they offer to take your photo, it’s probably not free. Photo scammers will quickly snap a pic and then force you to pay for it. If someone forcefully jumps into your picture, don’t pose and don’t snap.

Bonus tip: A friend of mine was in Rome with her daughter. A stranger offered to take their photo. She handed him her $1,500 iPhone, and he ran off with it. Be careful out there!

😂➕ What do travelers like best about Switzerland? Not sure, but the flag’s a big plus.