typosquatting scam</a></strong>. Avoid sites without the padlock icon or &ldquo;https&rdquo;&mdash;no security, no booking. However, that does not mean every site with a \"https\" should be considered safe. Due diligence is still needed.</p>\r\n<h3>B. If It&rsquo;s Too Cheap, It&rsquo;s Too Risky</h3>\r\n<p>Compare prices across platforms. If one site offers<strong> 70% off with zero cancellation fees and a free private chef,</strong> you&rsquo;re not booking a deal&mdash;you&rsquo;re falling into a trap.</p>\r\n<h3>C. Bad Design, Bad Sign</h3>\r\n<p>Legit travel sites don&rsquo;t have typos like <strong>&ldquo;Enjoy yur stay!&rdquo;</strong> or broken images. If the photos look like they were snapped in 1998 or the &ldquo;Contact Us&rdquo; page goes nowhere, run.</p>\r\n<h3>D. Urgency Isn&rsquo;t a Feature&mdash;It&rsquo;s a Flare</h3>\r\n<p>Beware of pushy pop-ups and countdown clocks. Real travel sites inform, not scare. A good deal can wait a minute. A scammer won&rsquo;t.</p>\r\n<h3>E. Payment Method Red Flags</h3>\r\n<p>Wire transfer only? Gift cards? Crypto payments? Nope. Always opt for a secure, traceable method like a credit card.</p>\r\n<h3>F. No Reviews = No Trust</h3>\r\n<p>Search for external reviews on platforms like <a href=https://www.scamadviser.com/"https://www.trustpilot.com//" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trustpilot</a> or Google. If the only feedback is a few overly glowing testimonials on the same site, it&rsquo;s probably staged.</p>\r\n<h2>How to Book Travel Safely in 2025</h2>\r\n<h3>A. Go Straight to the Source</h3>\r\n<p>See a great deal on an unfamiliar site? Check if it&rsquo;s listed on the official hotel or airline website. Better yet, call them. A few minutes can save you thousands.</p>\r\n<h3>B. Use Reputable Booking Platforms</h3>\r\n<p>Stick with big names or services you know and trust. If it&rsquo;s your first time using a platform, look up reviews&mdash;not just of the hotel, but of the site itself.</p>\r\n<h3>C. Pay Smart</h3>\r\n<p>Always use a credit card. It offers protection and allows chargebacks. Avoid bank transfers unless you&rsquo;ve booked with someone you trust deeply.</p>\r\n<h3>D. Avoid Unsolicited Travel Deals</h3>\r\n<p>If a &ldquo;friend&rdquo; DMs you a deal out of the blue&mdash;or you get a sketchy promo from a random number&mdash;ignore it. Good vacations don&rsquo;t start with spam.</p>\r\n<h3>E. Look for HTTPS and Security Badges</h3>\r\n<p>That padlock icon in your browser? It matters. No padlock = no booking.</p>\r\n<h3>F. Do Your Homework</h3>\r\n<p>Before you pay, search the <strong>company name + &ldquo;scam&rdquo; or &ldquo;reviews.&rdquo;</strong> What others say can reveal everything.</p>\r\n<h2>Already Got Scammed? Here's What to Do</h2>\r\n<p>Breathe. Then act fast.</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Contact your bank or credit card company and dispute the charge.</li>\r\n<li>Report the fraud to your country&rsquo;s consumer protection agency.</li>\r\n<li>Report fake websites to platforms like Google or Facebook.</li>\r\n<li>Consider filing a police report, especially if identity theft is involved.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3>Final Boarding Call: Travel Smart, Stay Safe</h3>\r\n<p>Your vacation should be filled with memories, not regret. Scammers thrive on urgency, trust, and that giddy &ldquo;I just found a deal!&rdquo; feeling. So pause, double-check, and when in doubt&mdash;walk away.</p>\r\n<p>If this article helped you, pass it on. It might save someone else&rsquo;s summer.</p>\r\n<p>Don&rsquo;t let a scam ruin your dream vacation.</p>"}}],"sidebarBlocks":[{"_template":"Small\\Content\\Cta","_identifier":"block-157084","data":{"title":"Report a Scam!","consumer":null,"description":"Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!","image":"https://files-scamadviser-com-prod.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbs/tell-your-story-8910e.png_200x200.png","button":"Report a Scam!","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/leave-review"}},{"_template":"Small\\Content\\Taxonomy","_identifier":"block-157123","data":{"title":"Scam Categories","taxonomies":[{"id":7,"name":"Scam Alerts (851)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/scam-alerts"},{"id":6,"name":"Scam Trends (306)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/scam-trends"},{"id":8,"name":"Global Scam Country Guide (44)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/global-scam-country-guide"},{"id":3,"name":"News about Scamadviser (41)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/news-about-scamadviser"},{"id":5,"name":"Reliable Sites (35)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/reliable-sites"},{"id":2,"name":"Research & Reports (26)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/research-reports"},{"id":1,"name":"Tips & Support (24)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/tips-support"},{"id":4,"name":"Advice for Companies (2)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/advice-for-companies"}]}},{"_template":"Default\\Content\\Heading","_identifier":"block-59407","data":{"align":"","text":"Help & Info","size":"large"}},{"_template":"Default\\Content\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157795","data":{"articles":[{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157796","data":{"title":"Tips & Support","link":"","icon":"fa-lightbulb-o","renderAsInertiaLink":false}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157824","data":{"title":"Scam Alerts","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/scam-alerts","icon":"fa-exclamation-triangle","renderAsInertiaLink":true}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157839","data":{"title":"Learn about Scams","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/scam-trends","icon":"fa-tags","renderAsInertiaLink":true}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157854","data":{"title":"Reliable Sites","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/reliable-sites","icon":"fa-check-circle","renderAsInertiaLink":true}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157869","data":{"title":"Advice for Companies","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/advice-for-companies","icon":"fa-comment","renderAsInertiaLink":true}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157884","data":{"title":"Research & Reports","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/research-reports","icon":"fa-search","renderAsInertiaLink":true}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-161131","data":{"title":"Global Scam Country Guide","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/global-scam-country-guide","icon":"fa-globe","renderAsInertiaLink":false}}],"buttonText":"See all","buttonLink":"https://www.scamadviser.com/help-info"}},{"_template":"Default\\Content\\Heading","_identifier":"block-59517","data":{"align":"","text":"Popular Stories","size":"large"}},{"_template":"Default\\Content\\Blogs","_identifier":"block-59530","data":{"items":[{"id":13,"title":"How to Recognize a Scam Website","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/how-to-recognize-a-scam-website","excerpt":"As the influence of the internet rises, so does the prevalence of online scams. There are fraudsters making all kinds of claims to trap victims online - from fake investment opportunities to online stores - and the internet allows them to operate from any part of the world with anonymity. The ability to spot online scams is an important skill to have as the virtual world is increasingly becoming a part of every facet of our lives. The below tips will help you identify the signs which can indicate that a website could be a scam.\r\nCommon Sense: Too Good To Be True\r\nWhen looking for goods online, a great deal can be very enticing. A Gucci bag or a new iPhone for half the price? Who wouldn’t want to grab such a deal? Scammers know this too and try to take advantage of the fact.\r\nIf an online deal looks too good to be true, think twice and double-check things. The easiest way to do this is to simply check out the same product at competing websites (that you trust). If the difference in prices is huge, it might be better to double-check the rest of the website.\r\nCheck Out the Social Media Links\r\nSocial media is a core part of ecommerce businesses these days and consumers often expect online shops to have a social media presence. Scammers know this and often insert logos of social media sites on their websites. Scratching beneath the surface often reveals this fu","buttonText":"Read more","renderAsInertiaLink":true},{"id":4,"title":"How Do I Get Money Back From a Scammer?","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/how-do-i-get-money-back-from-a-scammer","excerpt":"So the worst has come to pass - you realise you parted with your money too fast, and the site you used was a scam - what now? Well first of all, don’t despair!!\r\nIf you think you have been scammed, the first port of call when having an issue is to simply ask for a refund. This is the first and easiest step to determine whether you are dealing with a genuine company or scammers. Sadly, getting your money back from a scammer is not as simple as just asking. \r\nIf you are indeed dealing with scammers, the procedure (and chance) of getting your money back varies depending on the payment method you used.\r\n\r\nPayPal\r\nDebit card/Credit card\r\nBank transfer\r\nWire transfer\r\nGoogle Pay\r\nBitcoin\r\n\r\nPayPal\r\nIf you used PayPal, you have a strong chance of getting your money back if you were scammed. On their website, you can file a dispute within 180 calendar days of your purchase.\r\nConditions to file a dispute:\r\n\r\nThe simplest situation is that you ordered from an online store and it has not arrived. In this case this is what PayPal states: \"If your order never shows up and the seller can't provide proof of shipment or delivery, you'll get a full refund. It's that simple.\"\r\nThe scammer has sent you a completely different item. For example, you ordered a PlayStation 4, but instead received only a Playstation controller. \r\nThe condition of the item was misrepresented on the product page. This could be the ","buttonText":"Read more","renderAsInertiaLink":true}]}}],"meta":{"title":"Travel Scams Are Booming—Here’s How to Stay One Step Ahead","description":"Don't let fake travel websites ruin your summer vacation! 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