Every new season, occasion, holiday, natural disaster, you name it, scammers work hard. Vacation seasons are one of their favorite times to pounce.
Some in-person criminals might spy that you're away and break in. Take steps to make sure your home isn’t a target.
Most cybercrime targets you as you’re getting your trip scheduled and paid for. Buying a plane ticket for a late summer or fall trip? Arm yourself with tech tips to make your travel easier and cheaper.
While you’re at it, here’s a new scam to watch for: A "travel agent" or travel site selling fake plane tickets. I’ve got the details on how it works and ways to protect yourself from this predatory ploy.
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A nasty trick
Here’s how it works. You search for tickets online or reply to a scam email. Overwhelmed by all the travel sites and apps, you choose what seems like a trustworthy source with killer prices.
You may end up emailing, chatting or talking to someone who promises they can get you a great rate on a ticket. You hand over your name, phone number and payment details. Using your information, they book what you think is a confirmed seat and say you're good to go.
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You, the savvy shopper, go to the airline's website and enter the flight information. You see your seat, pat yourself on the back for saving money and consider your travel booked.
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Then comes the surprise
You check-in for your flight, and your ticket is nowhere to be found. That's because the scammer reserved a seat instead of actually booking a ticket. At this point, the airline can't do anything for you.
Hopefully, you find this out long before you’re standing at an airport customer service counter, suitcase in hand! Either way, you’re out the money and the airline ticket.
Be smarter than the scammer
How do you protect yourself from this scam and all the other nasty travel tricks out there? For starters, use this bit of wisdom to serve you well in any scenario: If you find a deal too good to be true, it's probably a scam.
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How to spot fake travel sites
This is far from the only scam in town. Crooks are great at creating fake apps and sites to rip you off. Fortunately, there are signs to watch for that can help to avoid them.
Keep your tech-know going
My popular podcast is called "Kim Komando Today." It’s a solid 30 minutes of tech news, tips, and callers with tech questions like you from all over the country. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts. For your convenience, hit the link below for a recent episode.
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Plus, Google is updating what it can collect about you online to enhance its AI capabilities. I chat with a guy who needs a new payment processing solution for his Christian networking group. Coworkers engaging in explicit messaging, ChatGPT officiating a wedding, and tricks to dispose of an old phone.
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Check out my podcast "Kim Komando Today" on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player.
Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name, "Komando."
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