Free Vacation Scams
“Congratulations! You’ve won a free, 4-day vacation for two in the beautiful, sun-drenched Bahamas!”
When you get a flyer, email, or unexpected phone call promising a complimentary vacation, it’s likely a vacation scam. A current variation of the scam is an automated phone call explaining that you or somebody entered your name in a draw, and that you won. Of course, it’s always from a perky-sounding female voice! Don’t fall for any of it.
Do not, under any circumstances, give the company your credit card number or any other details. Many scammers simply collect your personal information and sell it to other marketing lists or, worse, to commit identity theft.
If there actually is a vacation behind this, there’s always a catch that will often mean paying much more than booking with your travel agent. For instance, to be eligible for the free vacation, you have to pay a large sum of money for a club charge or a membership - which might also be fraudulent.
Here’s what a lot of people may receive for their money:
- You will receive a travel pack, but there will be restrictions on when you can take your trip. Additional handling charges to book your reservation are typical.
- The travel dates you prefer will be unavailable. If you complain, you may be offered an upgraded plan at another additional fee.
- You have to pay extra for the flight home, or the return flight is canceled!
- You have to sit through lengthly time-share sales seminars, perhaps several times before you even leave on vacation, and also during your vacation. Doesn’t sound as fun as relaxing in the sun, does it?
- If you actually receive a vacation, you will most likely be booked into substandard accommodations where meals, taxes and other unexplainable “service charges” are extra.
Most people who join will never receive anything, and as the law closes in, scam operators close down and begin somewhere else, with a new address and phone number. You will be left without the vacation, and whatever charges you have so far paid will be lost.
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