Travel Tip 39
Five tips to avoid scams when booking lodging.
Like the Pristine Camps website, legit websites will have lots of information and reviews. Fake websites have weird AI text, broken links and little information.
With scams increasingly targeting travelers, here’s the red flags to watch for.
According to The Guardian, scams involving platforms like Booking grew 580% last year.
That should be enough to give anybody pause when looking for accommodation. However, these tips will help you avoid scams.
1. Think critically about what they’re asking.
Scammers really don’t want you to think about what they’re asking. They want to scare you, so you’ll respond out of fear, rather than logic. If you are contacted about a reservation you have, be wary of any request for you to send money or information immediately.
2. Don’t click on links in emails and don’t send money if it’s requested by email.
Unfortunately, almost any email can be faked. Regardless if you booked the accommodation through a platform like Booking, or if you made your reservation directly with the hotel, they won’t send emails asking for money.
Look for detailed reviews about rooms, service and hotel restaurants. The Casa Cartagena restaurant reviews frequently mention both the food and the original 17th century fresco in the dining room.
3. Look for reviews
Yes, these can be faked too, but a place with a mix of positive and negative reviews is more likely to be real than a hotel with only three positive reviews. Compare reviews for a hotel on several sites, like Booking, TripAdvisor and the reviews on Google Maps.
4. Don’t book from online ads.
Yes, some ads are legit but enough aren’t that you should never book accommodation from an online ad. If the ad for a hotel looks good, open a separate tab and search for the hotel’s official website. Too many ads link to fraudulent websites.
5. Book with a travel agent
This may sound old fashioned, but travel agents are still very useful. They’re professionals who are experts at spotting scams and usually offer your money back if they make a mistake. Hotels and tour agencies offer discounts to travel agents, so you’ll likely pay the same amount (or sometimes less) than if you did all the work yourself.
Hotels, hostels and all accommodations have people who answer the phone and will be glad to answer questions if you’re worried about a scam. This is the front desk at Palacio del Inka in Cusco.
When in doubt, contact the hotel directly.
Email the address on the website or, even better, call them. International phone calls may still be expensive, but you should be able to call using Whatsapp or another free service. Even if you can’t call for free, the cost of a few minutes on the phone is worth avoiding getting scammed.
Questions about your travel plans? Contact me!
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