As the promise of summer inches ever closer, many Texans are eagerly planning their summer travel adventures with friends and family. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the 16-week period between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend has historically been one of the busiest for traveling domestically in the U.S., with 657 million long-distance trips made during this time in 2001.
With an increase in interest to travel, you can be sure scammers will be looking to take advantage. In the first four months of 2022, Americans have lost over $230,000 to travel scams across the nation, according to reports submitted to BBB Scam Tracker. Last year, consumers reported almost $350,000 lost to travel scams from May through July, accounting for over one-third (33.5%) of all money lost to travel scams in 2021.
“The rate of travel scams generally increases during the summer months,” said Heather Massey, vice president of communications for Better Business Bureau serving the Heart of Texas. “They can take a variety of forms, either as sweepstakes, airfare, timeshare, or rental scam, and can completely disrupt even the most meticulously planned travel schedule. Spontaneous traveling can be a lot of fun – but it is important that travelers spend the time to research their lodging arrangements, rentals, and any deals or discounts that they are offered by a business and do not allow a sense of urgency to rush them through the decision-making process.”
