From the Better Business Bureau of Central Virginia:
As summer vacation plans abound, and business people especially go back to traveling, many will again be using hotels. BBB reminds travelers to keep your personal information protected since tourist and business travelers are considered by scammers to be easy targets. Hotels provide scammers an easy path toward their goal of separating a traveler from their cash and/or personal information.
Here are five common hotel scams to be aware of:
Fake Website
When making online hotel reservations, make certain the website is legitimate. Scammers are proven experts for creating look-alike web pages to lure consumers into providing credit card information.
The American Hotel and Lodging Association is a BBB National Partner. They provided some tips to follow before booking a hotel room.
Fake Food Delivery
Make sure the menus physically left in the hotel room are authentic. Dining-in can feel like a tempting option, especially after a day of traveling or exploration, but you could end up ordering from a restaurant that doesn’t even exist.
Scammers will distribute fake menus with phone numbers that connect the caller to them instead of the hotel or a real business. They will collect the caller’s credit card information over the phone, then never deliver food.
Before deciding to order out, do some research and make sure the business exists. Confirm with the front desk for restaurant recommendations and to ensure the menu in the room is endorsed by the hotel and isn’t a plant from a scammer.
Fake Front Desk Calls
Hotel guests may receive a late-night phone call from someone impersonating the front desk. The caller asks for credit card information claiming there’s a problem with the credit card on file – they may say it was declined, they need to re-verify payment information or that they lost all of the financial information and need to run an audit by a certain time.
The scammer will offer to take your credit card information over the phone, so that you’re not inconvenienced. However, a real hotel staff member will never ask for your credit card information over the phone or at odd hours of the night—well after you’ve checked in.
Always notify the hotel management of any calls of this nature.
“Free” Wi-Fi Connections
When staying at a hotel, free internet access is often touted as a benefit of being a guest, however, this also provides scammers an “in.” Wireless internet “skimming” targets travelers with the promise of free internet access. This usually appears in the common areas of the hotel. The connection is free to access, but it’s not safe. Most of the time a hotel scam artist is controlling the connection through their computer, collecting all the data the traveler transmits – websites accessed, passwords used, card information, etc.
Before joining a network, make sure the Wi-Fi connection is secure and hosted through the hotel. Many secured connections require a two-step verification process. Instead, consider using your cellphone provider network after checking the data usage allowed or your provider’s hotspot, if available.
Checkout Scam
When checking into a hotel, the front desk always asks to give a form of payment to keep on file, such as a credit or debit card, for incidentals. However, at checkout guests can decide to pay with another method, such as cash or travelers checks.
No matter what payment method is used, get a receipt. This provides a record of all charges.
The best way to prevent being scammed at checkout is to use the same payment method used at check-in. Consider using a credit card versus a debit card. If your number is compromised, using your debit card provides access to the checking account, which a credit card doesn’t.
If you encounter a scam, report it to BBB Scam Tracker at BBB.org/scamtracker.
For more information on businesses you can trust, visit BBB.org.
About BBB: BBB serving Central Virginia serves Richmond, the Tri-Cities, Charlottesville, and Fredericksburg, as well as 42 surrounding counties from Fauquier to Mecklenburg and Northumberland to Amherst. The nonprofit organization was established in 1954 to advance responsible, honest, and ethical business practices and to promote customer confidence through self-regulation of business. Core services of BBB include business profiles, dispute resolution, truth-in advertising, scam warnings, consumer and business education, and charity review.
