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Travel Club Scams

Florida shuts down 'deceptive' travel club, consumers advised to use caution when booking vacation travel.

February is prime vacation travel time, with many people seeking warmer temperatures in the tropics. So it's probably a good time to remind consumers about the prevalence of travel scams.

In Florida, Attorney General Pam Bondi has announced a settlement that permanently shuts down a travel company operation that she says was deceiving consumers with its sales tactics.

The agreement bars Map Destinations, LLC and its owners, operators, and managers from marketing travel cl...

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Florida cracking down on travel club companies, attorney general secures temporary injunction, shutting down several florida operators, illinois sues alleged vacation travel club, the suit says consumers got taken for nearly $80k.

The state of Illinois is taking a Kansas-based company and two of its Chicago area sales agents to court, charging that they scammed Illinois residents out of at least $80,000 for membership in a bogus travel club that failed to deliver on its promises of vacation destinations across the globe.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed the lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against Global Connections of Overland Park, Kan., Madmol Inc., based in Crystal Lake, Ill., and GVN Illinois, based in Tinley Park, Ill.

According to the lawsuit, the companies operate a bogus travel club called Global Discovery Vacation Program. Madigan maintains the club scams as much as $8,000 in upfront payments and $398 annual fees from consumers for membership in the program that in reality provides no discounts and -- instead -- charges consumers even more money to book vacations.

Phony checks from phony companies

The Global Discovery Vacation Program is sold through direct mail solicitations and telemarketing calls that claim recipients have won a free prize or free roundtrip airfare. Many consumers reported receiving a fake check or letter made out to them from legitimate-sounding airlines, including “US Airlines” or “American Airways.”

When consumers contacted the company to claim their free prize and airfare, they learned they first had to attend a sales presentation for the Global Discovery Vacation Program. The presentation billed the program as an exclusive club, promising consumers access to hundreds of properties across the country and around the world for a discount.

“This operation has all the makings of a scam,” Madigan said. “Any time you are offered a ‘free’ prize or a supposed award, that’s a red flag. If you receive solicitations like this, your first and only move should be to throw it in the trash.”

The suit alleges consumers who signed up for the travel club had access to few of the promised vacation properties -- if any at all. The few consumers who were able to book a vacation found substandard conditions of the vacation properties, including reports of hotels infested with cockroaches and broken appliances.

The lawsuit seeks to ban the companies from operating in Illinois, provide full restitution to affected consumers and assess penalties based on violations of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.

The state of Illinois is taking a Kansas-based company and two of its Chicago area sales agents to court, charging that they scammed Illinois residents out...

Sea to Ski Vacations ordered to pay $7 million in penalties, restitution

"free airline ticket" offers were used to rope in customers.

Travel club memberships can be great when they work. But when they don't, they can be a major source of frustration and monetary distress.

Take Sea to Ski Vacations. It's been ordered to pay $7 million in fines and consumer restitution for violating the Colorado Consumer Protection Act. 

Denver District Court Judge Robert McGahey also prohibited the club's owners from owning, managing, or operating travel-related businesses again because of their deceptive business practices.

“Consumers complained that they were told membership in the travel club would entitle them to deep discounts on condos and cruises,” said Attorney General John Suthers. “Yet, after paying as much as $9,000 for a membership, the Sea to Ski ‘deals’ were no better than what the consumer could purchase on popular internet travel sites."

According to testimony from ex-employee witnesses, Sea to Ski employees regularly used Expedia and Priceline to book travel while pretending to be working with an exclusive provider of travel services. 

Sea to Ski attracted its customers by mailing postcards claiming that the recipient had won two free airline tickets. The “free airline ticket” offers often require substantial up-front fees, and such onerous travel restrictions that consumers are unable to redeem the travel vouchers. American Airlines sued the club for copyright infringement for the unlawful use of their logo.

The Colorado Attorney General warns that similar postcards using the Southwest, United, and Delta logos have also been used to attract consumers to other travel club presentations. Consumers should carefully read any fine print or conditions attached to “free” offers received by mail or email. Anyone who believes they may have been scammed is encouraged to file a complaint by calling the Colorado Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-222-4444.

Travel club memberships can be great when they work. But when they don't, they can be a major source of frustration and monetary distress. Take Sea to Ski...

Dreamworks Vacation Club owner sentenced to seven years in prison

Daryl turner stole millions from consumers, new jersey prosecutors charged.

The owner of Dreamworks Vacation Club has been sentenced to seven years in prison by a New Jersey judge. Daryl Turner, 42, stole millions of dollars from customers of his travel club,  Acting New Jersey Attorney General John J. Hoffman charged.

Turner, who pleaded guilty August 7, 2013, admitted that he pitched phony vacation travel membership packages to customers. He executed a consent judgment to pay restitution of approximately $2.6 million to his victims.

Turner’s wife, Robyn Bernstein, 44, who helped run his travel companies, was sentenced to five years of probation. She had also pleaded guilty to theft by deception. Under their plea agreements, Turner and Bernstein agreed to forfeit their home in Marlton and other assets seized in the investigation, including bank accounts, cars and a boat.

“Turner carried out one fraudulent scheme after another, stealing from hundreds of unsuspecting customers who thought he would make traveling more affordable for them,” Hoffman said. “Instead, he ruthlessly stole the money they had set aside for their vacations. This sentence puts Turner safely behind bars, where he can no longer deliver his devious sales pitches, and it requires him to pay full restitution to his victims.”

The state’s investigation revealed that Turner and Bernstein falsely promised large discounts and benefits to those who bought vacation packages, which typically cost between $2,200 and $6,500. They knew that the promised discounts and benefits were not available. In addition, they failed to deliver “free” round-trip airline tickets and cruises after customers paid them hundreds of dollars in “fees and surcharges” to qualify for the “free” promotional trips. They laundered more than $700,000 in criminal proceeds through their personal bank accounts and used the money to buy their luxury home in Marlton, according to testimony and court documents.

Back to his old tricks

“After law enforcement shut down Turner’s shady travel companies, he opened a new one and went back to his old tricks,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “By sending Turner to prison, we have ended his fraud spree and warned the public that this is not a man you want to trust with your money.”

“We remain committed to getting money back to the consumers who were defrauded, through liquidation of the ill-gotten assets seized from Turner and Bernstein,” said Eric T. Kanefsky, Director of the State Division of Consumer Affairs. “The civil and criminal cases are concluded but we do not consider this matter closed until restitution is in the hands of these consumers.”

The state’s investigation revealed that Turner and Bernstein recruited customers using mass postcard mailings that offered recipients a “complimentary cruise for two” and/or “complimentary airfare for two.”

When recipients called the toll-free number on the card, they were told they must visit one of defendants’ business locations for a 90-minute presentation, which turned out to be a high-pressure sales pitch to purchase vacation packages. 

Daryl Turner (Photo: NJ Attorney General)The owner of Dreamworks Vacation Club has been sentenced to seven years in prison by a New Jersey judge. Daryl...

New Jersey Shuts Down Travel Membership Company

Consumers warned to avoid travel club presentations that make big promises.

If you receive a postcard inviting you to a presentation on how to saving big money on travel, you might be wise to show some skepticism. These come-ons, usually offering some kind of incentive to attend -- can end badly for consumers.

A suit filed by the state of New Jersey claimed Global Travel Solutions, LLC and its owner, Jason A. Krieck, took payments from consumers for costly travel club memberships that promised steep discounts on vacation packages and other travel benefits, and then failed to deliver the contracted-for services.

Consumers were also charged monthly fees for the memberships. The defendants allegedly invited consumers to attend sales presentations for the memberships with free promotional items, and then failed to deliver the items.

Must pay $350,000

In a settlement with the state Global Travel Solutions is required to direct all billing and reservations companies to immediately stop trying to collect payments from consumers on the company’s behalf. The company is also required to pay $350,000 to the state.

In addition, for a period of 5 years, Krieck is required to post a bond of at least $250,000 with the division if he opens, owns or operates any business in the state that sells merchandise to consumers. The defendants entered into the settlement without any admission of liability but has agreed to dissolve the business.

“We have stopped the sale of these allegedly worthless travel club memberships in the state and the continued collection activity against consumers who previously purchased memberships,” said New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa .

He also advised consumers to be extremely careful when listening to an attractive sales pitch for any product, including travel and vacation packages.

Beware of travel scams

“Travel scams, offering free amenities and big discounts for cruises and airfare, can be shockingly effective at separating consumers from their hard-earned money,” Eric T. Kanefsky, Acting Director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, said. “These operations often begin with postcards inviting consumers to attend a presentation at which they will hear about amazing deals that really are too good to be true.”

Kanefsky says consumers who purchased memberships based on sales presentations lost thousands of dollars. He said any consumer who receives a similar solicitation should be extremely skeptical.

To date, New Jersey has identified more than 700 affected consumers, the majority of whom paid between $995 and $9,995.00 for the Global Travel memberships, plus a $29.95 monthly fee.

  If you receive a postcard inviting you to a presentation on how to saving big money on travel, you might be wise to show some skepticism. T...

Suit Claims Vacation Travel Club Defrauded Consumers

Firm allegedly failed to deliver on its many promises.

Being invited to attend a presentation on vacation travel packages is like being invited to a presentation on timeshares. Chances are you're going to be sold something you don't really want that doesn't turn out nearly the way it's presented.

A five-count complaint alleges that Global Travel Solutions, LLC, and its owner, Jason A. Krieck, violated the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and the Advertising Regulations, among other laws, by committing "unconscionable commercial practices and deception, making false promises or misrepresentations, and engaging in the knowing omission of material facts in their advertisement and sale of memberships."

“We allege the defendants’ deceptive business practices began with postcards the company mailed offering complimentary cruises and roundtrip airfare, and continued right through their sales presentations,” Chiesa said. “Rather than getting away on a vacation, these consumers ended up stuck at home, dealing with the loss of their hard-earned money.”

To date, the Division has received complaints from 54 New Jersey consumers, the majority of whom paid between $995 to $8,500 for the membership, plus a $29.95 monthly fee. After discovering that the memberships did not provide the represented deep discounts and availability of accommodations and other travel services, consumers attempted to cancel their memberships but were unable to do so for varying reasons.

Some consumers who contacted the company said were told cancellation papers would be mailed to them but no papers were received. Others went to the company’s Montvale, N.J., location during listed business hours but found the office was closed.

Empty promises

“According to our lawsuit, the defendants lured consumers into purchasing memberships through empty promises of discounted vacation services and free cruises and airfare, all with the purpose of defrauding consumers and enriching themselves,” said Thomas R. Calcagni, Director of the State Division of Consumer Affairs. “We allege that consumers paid significant money for sham memberships that were essentially worthless. In fact, consumers could find lower vacation travel prices through free internet sites.”

The alleged violations of the Consumer Fraud Act include inducing consumers to attend presentations for memberships by offering a complimentary cruise and airfare that are, in fact, not complimentary. The suit also charges the company failed to book the complimentary cruise and airfare even after the consumer submitted the requisite paperwork and paid the requisite deposits.

With vacation season approaching, consumers should be on the lookout for vacation deals that sound too good to be true. Unfortunately, most of them are.

Suit Claims Vacation Travel Club Defrauded Consumers...

New Jersey Travel Club Owner Arrested, Charged with Theft

Consumers paid for vacation packages that never materialized.

Police have arrested the owner of numerous New Jersey vacation travel companies with a long history of consumer complaints. Daryl Turner, 39, of Cherry Hill, is accused of stealing more than $75,000 from consumers for vacation packages and travel benefits that were never provided.

Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor said Turner was arrested at his home and charged with second degree theft by deception.

It is alleged that since 2008, Turner, through his vacation travel companies, took payments from numerous consumers and then repeatedly failed to provide the contracted-for travel packages, or refund the money. Turner also allegedly failed to deliver various promotional items promised to consumers in return for their attendance at promotional seminars.

That's what happened to Donald of Edgewater Park, N.J.

“Sat in on a 90-minute presentation in return we were to receive a free cruise for 8 days 7 nights and airfare,” Donald told ConsumerAffairs.com. “We filled all information, sent in $603.00 for port charges, government taxes” but never received confirmation of the cruise and soon found that the company's telephone number had been disconnected.

Turner also allegedly used the corporate logos of airlines, hotels, and car rental companies in promotional materials without those companies' permission.

Under terms of a February 2011 agreement with the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General and the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Turner is barred from doing business in the state for no less than five years and cannot open or operate any such business in the future without state approval.

Under the agreement, Turner is responsible for over $2,188,000 in consumer restitution and $478,000 in civil penalties. Turner also is required to reimburse the state $419,780.10 for its attorneys’ fees and investigative costs.

The vacation trav el companies named as defendants in the state’s civil lawsuit included Dreamworks Vacation Club, Dreamworks Vacations, Bentley Travel, Modern Destinations Unlimited, Blue Water , Vacation Clubs LLC d/b/a La Bonne Vie Travel, Five Points Travel Company, Dream Vacations International, Inc., and Away We Go Promotions, LLC.

The Division of Consumer Affairs last month filed a six-count Complaint in Burlington County Superior Court that charges Turner, individually and d/b/a Reservations, his wife Robyn B. Bernstein, and their Marlton-based company, Travel Deals Limited Liability Company, as well as VIP Executives, LLC, with violating the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and Advertising Regulations by failing to fulfill promises of complimentary cruises and airfare used to induce attendance at sales presentations, and failing to provide the luxury vacation packages at discounted prices represented during the sales presentations.

Police have arrested the owner of numerous New Jersey vacation travel companies with a long history of consumer complaints. Daryl Turner, 39, of Cherry Hil...

New Jersey Sues Travel Company Owner (Again)

Charged a second time with deceptive marketing prices.

The State of New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against travel company owner Daryl Turner alleging deceptive marketing practices. The process was familiar because the state sued Turner and his company previously for the same reason.

In February New Jersey settled a multi-million dollar lawsuit alleging a pattern of deceptive business practices carried out by Turner's numerous vacation travel membership companies.

Failed to fulfill promises

The six-count complaint filed this week charges Turner, individually and d/b/a Reservations, his wife Robyn B. Bernstein, and their Marlton-based company, Travel Deals Limited Liability Company, as well as VIP Executives, LLC, with violating the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and Advertising Regulations, by failing to fulfill promises of complimentary cruises and airfare used to induce attendance at sales presentations, and failing to provide the luxury vacation packages at discounted prices represented during the sales presentations.

A judge temporarily enjoined the defendants from transferring or disposing of any assets related to the matter, and specifically enjoined Turner from any involvement in the business operations of Travel Deals or from otherwise engaging in the advertisement, offering for sale, and sale of vacation packages to consumers in and outside of New Jersey.

At the same time, the New Jersey attorney general is taking Turner back to court on the state's allegation that he is in violation of the recently agreed-to settlement.

Too-good-to-be-true offers

“As we allege in our lawsuit, Turner is in clear violation of his settlement with the State,” said Attorney General Paula T. Dow. “Every indication points to Travel Deals being yet another of Turner’s companies that dangles too-good-to-be-true offers of free cruises and international vacations in front of consumers, defrauds consumers of their hard-earned money, and then leaves them with little more than heartache and frustration.”

Dow's office says it has received complaints from 15 consumers, the majority of whom paid between $2,500 and $5,194 for vacation packages, which as alleged in the State’s new lawsuit, turned out to be essentially worthless.

Dow says the alleged scheme is similar to the one that was the subject of the previous lawsuit against Turner. According to that lawsuit, filed in 2009, Turner and his various vacation travel companies took payment from consumers and then repeatedly failed to provide the contracted-for vacation packages, or refund the money.

More than 670 consumers affected

The defendants also failed to deliver various promotional items promised to consumers in return for their attendance at promotional seminars. More than 670 affected consumers were identified in that lawsuit, which named Turner and his travel companies as defendants, namely Dreamworks Vacation Club a/k/a Dreamworks Vacations a/k/a Dreamworks, Five Points Travel Company, Bentley Travel, Modern Destinations Unlimited, Blue Water, Vacation Clubs LLC d/b/a La Bonne Vie Travel, Dream Vacations International, Inc., and Away We Go Promotions, LLC.

This week's lawsuit seeks to bar Turner from the travel business and require him to repay consumers nearly $2.2 million for vacation packages and/or complimentary items never provided.

The State of New Jersey has filed a second lawsuit against the operator of a vacation package company....

New Jersey Travel Clubs Banished from the Garden State

Clubs and their owner fined, barred from new jersey for five years.

The owner of numerous vacation travel club companies with a long history of consumer complaints in New Jersey has been barred from doing business in the state for no less than five years.

According to a lawsuit filed by the New Jersey Attorney General in 2009, defendants Daryl T. Turner, 39, of Cherry Hill, and his vacation travel companies took payments from numerous consumers and then repeatedly failed to provide the contracted-for travel packages, or refund the money.

The defendants also failed to deliver various promotional items promised to consumers in return for their attendance at promotional seminars. To date, over 670 affected consumers have been identified. The lawsuit further charges Turner and his companies with using in their promotional materials the corporate logos of airlines, hotels, and car rental companies without those companies’ permission.

Besides being barred from doing business for five years, Turner cannot open or operate any such business in the future without state approval, under terms of a settlement with the Office of the Attorney General and State Division of Consumer Affairs.

The vacation travel companies named as defendants in the state’s lawsuit include Dreamworks Vacation Club, Dreamworks Vacations, Bentley Travel, Modern Destinations Unlimited, Blue Water, Vacation Clubs LLC d/b/a La Bonne Vie Travel, Five Points Travel Company, Dream Vacations International, Inc., and Away We Go Promotions, LLC.

The civil complaint, filed in Morris County, was amended several times as Consumer Affairs investigators uncovered additional travel club companies owned or controlled by Turner throughout New Jersey. The Final Consent Judgment includes nine of Turner’s travel companies, all of which are now shut down.

“ We’ve reached a settlement that immediately puts an end to Mr. Turner’s business activities and prevents him from offering vacation travel club memberships and services here for at least five years, Attorney General Paula T. Dow said.

Under the settlement, Turner is responsible for over $2,188,000 in consumer restitution and $478,000 in civil penalties. Turner is also required to reimburse the state $419,780.10 for its attorneys’ fees and investigative costs.

“ Not only does this Judgment make Turner a ‘persona non grata’ in the New Jersey vacation travel industry, it clears the way for the Division of Consumer Affairs to investigate and seize any assets Turner has or may come into -- and that is precisely what we intend to do until every last consumer is made whole, until every last dollar is paid,” said Thomas R. Calcagni, Acting Director of the State Division of Consumer Affairs.

To assist in getting immediate relief to affected consumers, the Division of Consumer Affairs has identified those consumers who used credit cards to pay Turner and his companies for vacation packages, and will be contacting the credit card companies to inform them of the Consent Judgment to facilitate reimbursements to those consumers through credit card charge-backs.

Should consumers wish to pursue reimbursements from their credit card companies themselves, they may obtain an electronic copy of the Final Consent Judgment by contacting Consumer Affairs Investigator Murat Botas at  [email protected]  or (973) 273-8038 .

New Jersey Travel Clubs Banished from the Garden State....

Delaware Sues Serenity Travel, Destination Vacations

State says travel clubs defrauded consumers.

The Delaware Attorney General’s Office says it is moving forward with lawsuits against two travel companies that allegedly defrauded dozens of Delawareans.  According to complaints from consumers, Serenity Travel and Destination Vacation International failed to provide promised discounts and incentives to consumers who joined their travel clubs, and failed to pay refunds to consumers and change their business practices under a binding May 2010 agreement with the office.

“Delawareans deserve to be treated with fairness by the companies they do business with,” said Timothy Mullaney, Sr., Director of the Attorney General’s Fraud and Consumer Protection Division. “We’re taking action in court to ensure that customers receive the refunds they deserve and to protect all consumers from deceptive and misleading marketing practices.”

The Attorney General’s Office received more than 70 consumer complaints between June 2009 and May 2010 alleging the travel companies offered discounts on cruises, lodging and other travel products if they attended the companies’ marketing presentations, but then either failed to provide promised incentives or required customers to pay previously undisclosed fees.  

Customers also complained they were pressured to pay to join the travel clubs before they could research the companies, were not provided price quotes at marketing presentations, and that the companies opened credit cards in their names without permission. Serenity, customers said, claimed to have a strong rating from the Better Business Bureau when, in fact, the company had lost its accreditation. Customers also complained of difficulty acquiring the services the clubs advertised.

In May, 2010 the companies agreed to reimburse within 30 days the consumers who had filed complaints for the fees they paid to join their travel club.  The companies also agreed to provide additional customers with discounts that were promised but never delivered, change their marketing practices by clearly disclosing all of the terms and conditions for receiving incentives through written promotions, oral presentations, and the companies’ websites, provide fixed pricing; and make only truthful statements regarding their Better Business Bureau status. 

After the companies failed to provide the promised refunds to a number of consumers, the Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit against the companies in August, 2010 seeking customer refunds they had not yet paid along with additional penalties for violating the Delaware Consumer Protection Act.  Moreover, since the May, 2010 settlement agreement, additional consumers have complained that Serenity has failed to change its marketing practices, as required, by continuing to:

• advertise "gifts" and free travel incentives that were never provided and in fact carried fees
• engage in high pressure sales techniques such as substantial "one day only" price drops
• misrepresent their accreditation with the Better Business Bureau
• opened credit cards without the consumers' full knowledge and consent, and
• fail to fulfill the type and price of travel available to Serenity members

Ongoing attempts to secure the unpaid refunds have failed and the Department will be moving forward with this lawsuit as well as a new lawsuit alleging continued deceptive trade practices, including purporting to buy consumers' timeshares in exchange for the consumer joining Serenity's club, requiring additional fees to transfer the timeshare, and using major travel brands on advertising and marketing when Serenity was not in fact affiliated with those brands. 

Delaware Sues Serenity Travel, Destination Vacations. State says travel clubs defrauded consumers....

Texas Shuts Down Travel Club

Victims paid thousands for 'worthless' memberships.

According to court documents filed by the state, Royal Palms Travel Inc. and All Inclusive Excursions promised prospects they would get steep discounts on travel purchases if they signed up as members of Sealand Travel club, which Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott says was nothing more than a shell company.

The state maintains the memberships actually had little or no value. In response to the state's enforcement action, a Dallas County District Court issued a temporary restraining order against the defendants that prevents them from continuing to violate the law. A temporary injunction hearing is set for 2 p.m., March 30.

Among the defendants charged with legal violations were company principals Adrian D. Miller, William H. Bailey and Christy Spensberger. Other named defendants were Travel Services Inc., Funseekers Vacations Inc. and Royal Palms Travel. According to state investigators, Royal Palms Travel and a related entity, All Inclusive Excursions, unlawfully misled potential customers and relied upon improper high-pressure sales tactics to sell worthless travel club memberships.

Abbott says he's seen this kind of scheme before. It's similar, he says, to other illegal travel scams he's shut down in the past.

Lots of Restrictions

The state's court documents show the defendants lured customers to sales presentations by offering free trips, airline tickets -- even gasoline. However, seminar attendees were informed that their free trips and tickets were contingent upon paying a deposit and submitting receipts for vouchers or rebates. Customers also discovered that the "free" trips were subject to restrictions that rendered them effectively worthless.

The defendants urged other prospective customers to join Sealand Travel Club, which claimed to provide significant discounts and the lowest prices for travel. The state's enforcement action reveals those claims were false and thus unlawful, and that Sealand is an unincorporated shell company existing in name only.

The defendants routed Sealand memberships they sold customers to a mail drop at a UPS office in Kansas City, Mo. In turn, Travel Services Inc., a Delaware corporation also known as Funseekers Vacations Inc., received the forwarded Sealand memberships at an office in Litchfield, Ill.

Sealand charged its members from $2,000 to $8,000, but customers received little or nothing of value, as they were unable to book travel at lower prices than they could find without the Sealand membership. Thus, prices under the "Sealand" banner were no more discounted than ordinary prices quoted on the Internet, according to Abbott.

To prevent further unlawful conduct and prevent additional Texans from being harmed, the attorney general is seeking a temporary injunction that will extend the temporary restraining order the court granted has already granted. The Office of the Attorney General is also seeking civil penalties of up to $20,000 for each instance the defendant violated the DTPA.

Because Travel Services Inc. unlawfully failed to obtain a certificate of authority for conducting business from the Texas Secretary of State, the attorney general also charged the defendant with violating the Business Organization Code - a violation that renders the defendant liable for franchise taxes from 2008 through 2010.

Texas Shuts Down Travel Club...

Beware of Spring Break Travel Scams

Shady operators often promise free travel as inducements.

"Some unscrupulous companies take advantage of consumers' desires to get a good deal on travel," said Ohio Attorney General Cordray. "They offer 'free' vacations, cheap flights and other perks, but when consumers try to cash in, the companies invalidate the offers or simply stop responding. It is important to watch out for these deceptive bait-and-switch tactics."

In fact, the word "free" is often a tip-off that the item being pitched isn't quite on the up and up. No matter what they tell you, marketers don't make any money when they give something away free, which is why they hardly ever do it.

Cordray says that in the last two years he has received nearly 300 complaints about travel clubs and travel agencies. One consumer said she attended a sales presentation from a vacation company that promised her three days to cancel. She paid $2,500, but when she tried to cancel, she said the company ignored her calls and never refunded her money.

Another consumer said he signed a two-year membership with a travel club that promised travel amenities, including lodging, food, gas and entertainment. Despite paying $2,900 and following all the rules, the consumer said he never received the promised benefits.

Last September, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum sued Suncoast Incentives LLC, saying its offer of a travel club with unlimited free travel was nothing but a scam. McCollum charged the company enticed victims to purchase travel club memberships for thousands of dollars, but failed to provide the incentives advertised. McCollum says his suit was prompted by the more than 500 consumer complaints his office received.

Victims received advertisements for sales seminars that featured images of various commercial cruise ships. The advertisements encouraged consumers to attend the seminars and receive a free cruise. Once at the seminars, consumers were allegedly told they would never have to pay retail price for travel again if they joined the travel club. Membership fees ranged from $2,495 to $7,495, and annual renewal fees ranged from $199 to $249.

Here are some suggestions that will help you stay out of trouble when booking travel:

• Check companies' reputations before you pay. Search a travel company's name on the Attorney General's and Better Business Bureau's Web sites to see if other consumers have filed complaints against the company. Check with the Ohio Secretary of State to make sure the company is registered to do business in Ohio.

• Be skeptical of postcards, phone calls and e-mails that promise a free vacation. Businesses may use giveaways to persuade consumers to call and then pressure them into buying an over-priced package or travel club membership. You may be able to find better deals with a local, reputable travel agent. Other times, you will be able to save money by booking your own flights and hotel reservations through the Internet or telephone.

• Don't give in to high-pressure sales tactics. If you attend a sales presentation, you may be encouraged to make a purchase on the spot. Instead, insist on time to think about the deal and do not make a payment until you have all the information you need to make a decision. Don't do business with companies that make you feel uneasy or rushed.

• Guard your personal financial information. Don't give your debit card or credit card number to a company you don't know or don't trust. Some consumers report travel clubs that make unauthorized withdrawals from their accounts or refuse to let them cancel their contracts.

• Read the fine print. A travel club contract may include annual fees, maintenance costs or other unexpected charges. To avoid surprises, read the contract to find out exactly how much the membership will cost and how you can cancel it. Look for exclusions or conditions that will limit your ability to get a refund.

• Get everything in writing. Make sure all verbal promises are put into a written contract; otherwise, they are not guaranteed. If a company refuses to put an agreement in writing, don't sign the contract.

• Pay with a credit card. When you pay with a credit card, federal law allows you to dispute unauthorized charges of more than $50 with your credit provider. You may not have the same protections if you pay with a debit card.

Beware of Spring Break Travel Scams...

Florida Sues To Stop Travel Scam

Victims told club membership provided free travel.

September 16, 2009 The deal sounded too good to be true. And in fact, it was.

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum says Suncoast Incentives LLC's offer of a travel club with unlimited free travel was nothing but a scam and he's hauled the company into court.

McCollum's complaint alleges that the company owner Nicholas Congleton enticed victims to purchase travel club memberships for thousands of dollars, but failed to provide the incentives advertised. McCollum says his suit was prompted by the more than 500 consumer complaints his office has received.

Victims received advertisements for sales seminars that featured images of various commercial cruise ships. The advertisements encouraged consumers to attend the seminars and receive a free cruise.

Once at the seminars, consumers were allegedly told they would never have to pay retail price for travel again if they joined the travel club. Membership fees ranged from $2,495 to $7,495, and annual renewal fees ranged from $199 to $249.

The Attorney General's Economic Crimes Division determined the free cruises were not free and included substantial fees, often over several hundreds of dollars. Additionally, investigators believe the companies had a contract with only one condo association, and no contracts with any airlines, cruise lines, hotels, or motels. Former employees told investigators they would merely search online for price options, just as consumers might otherwise do for themselves.

Congleton is associated with several other companies, including Royal Palm Vacations, World Travel, and Capital Financial. The Attorney General's lawsuit has requested the Court prohibit Congleton and his companies from selling any travel packages. The lawsuit also requests full consumer restitution and recovery of the costs of the state's investigation and litigation.

Florida Sues To Stop Travel Scam...

New Jersey Expands Travel Service Lawsuit

Companies allegedly provided no services.

Vacation Clubs, LLC, which does business as La Bonne Vie Travel, is now a defendant in New Jersey's lawsuit against travel companies it claims took consumers money but provided no services.

In May, the state sued Daryl T. Turner and his businesses, Dreamworks Vacation Club, Five Points Travel Company and Bentley Travel. These businesses had previously operated out of locations in Parsippany, Sewell and Westampton. Defendants are now operating La Bonne Vie Travel at 600 Park Avenue, Suite 200, in Manalapan, New Jersey.

"We're continuing our investigation of Turner and his companies. This investigative effort has led us to La Bonne Vie Travel, which we've added as a defendant," said David Szuchman, New Jersey's Consumer Affairs Director.

To date, the division has received complaints from approximately 300 consumers against the defendants either directly or from the Burlington County Consumer Affairs Office. The defendants this month filed a response to the state's complaint, in which they deny all the alleged violations.

The state's complaint alleges that the defendants failed to provide any services to consumers and misrepresented their relationship with hotel, airline and car rental companies through the unauthorized use of their corporate logos. The state also alleges that the defendants depicted specific resorts, regions and packages in mailings and sales presentations that, in actuality, were not available to consumers.

The state also alleges that the defendants also did not provide the free gifts that consumers were led to believe they would receive, including seven-day cruises, round-trip airline tickets for two, hotel stays, free dinners, car rentals and/or free gas coupons.

When consumers contacted the "800" telephone number listed on the mailings to claim their gifts, they were informed that they had to attend a 90-minute sales presentation for vacation packages. Even if they attended the presentations, consumers were not provided with the gifts.

The state says consumers paid $1,200 to $8,000 upfront to purchase a vacation membership package, but were not provided with ability to book the airline, hotel or other travel arrangements at the price and quality represented by defendants prior to purchase.

New Jersey Expands Travel Service Lawsuit...

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Beware of vacation travel club fraud scams

Don't believe promises of extreme discounts or free travel.

A  lawsuit the Massachusetts attorney general recently filed against a Pittsfield vacation club and an affiliated company underscores why you should consider carefully before doing business with a discount travel company or vacation club.

A court has issued a preliminary injunction ordering the companies to stop using alleged deceptive marketing to sell travel memberships, Attorney General Martha Coakley of Massachusetts recently announced.

Coakley said the companies offered consumers free travel incentives and extreme discounts on travel, but instead charged them thousands of dollars for access to a proprietary software database that failed to provide the promised discounts.

"Vacation or travel scams offer free or discounted deals that often never materialize, and our office alleges these companies stole thousands of dollars from consumers through their deceptive memberships," Coakley said in a statement.

The temporary injuction bars the companies from advertising free travel that in fact requires consumers to pay taxes and fees. Nor can they promote access to nonexistent wholesale travel discount or hold consumers to a three-day cancellation period when they have not yet received access to the companies' website.

The state is seeking more than $108,000 in restitution to victims and $170,000 in civil penalties.

For more information about vacation fraud, read our report "Vacation Scams Can Cost You Any Time Of Year. Watch For The Warning Signs Of Travel Fraud."

Over the years, we've seen many gripes about travel clubs in complaints filed with the the Better Business Bureau and such websites as Complaints.com and RipoffReport .

In 2012, the New Jersey attorney general sued a company and its owner for failing to provide promised deep discounts, vacation accommodations, and other travel services for which it charged one-time membership fees that ranged from $995 to $8,500, plus a $29.95 monthly charge.

Here are tips to consider if you're contemplating joining a vacation club.

• Check out the company at the Better Business Bureau , and by using a web search with the company name along with such words as "complaints" and "reviews."
• Ask about trip-cancellation and refund policies. Get the answers in writing.
• Request a detailed explanation of any vaguely worded descriptions, such as "5-star accommodations."
• Be especially wary of unsolicited promotions that come by mail, e-mail, or fax offering deeply discounted travel packages.

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The 15 Biggest Travel Scams, and How to Avoid Them

The Editors

We are the editors of SmarterTravel! Together we have appeared in countless travel publications including ABC News, Huffington Post, Travel + Leisure, USA Today, and more. We dedicate our days to creating and producing expert travel content, including packing tips, general travel advice, destination inspiration, and helpful videos. Follow us across social media on YouTube , Pinterest , Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter or drop us a line to say hi at [email protected]!

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You know that old saying “there’s a sucker born every minute”? Don’t be one of them. Stay ahead of these surprisingly effective travel scams to keep your vacation plans from falling apart. The schemes below may be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to travel cons, but preparing yourself for these common swindles is a good place to start.

Vacation Clubs

Wholesale travel clubs claim that you’ll have access to incredibly cheap vacations if you join. However, once you pay the joining fees, you find that the deals offered aren’t any better than what you can find for yourself online—for free. Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott , whose book Scammed lays out a helpful roadmap for being a responsible and effective shopper in a world of corporate swindles, has told SmarterTravel: “I’ve never come across a legitimate travel club. My advice is to run, don’t walk.”

Elliott advises that anyone considering joining a travel club do research with a very critical eye beforehand. Simply doing an internet search for the name of the travel company plus “travel scam” will usually reveal a host of problems experienced by other members. Also check the Better Business Bureau for complaints about the specific service before you buy.

Timeshare Sales

Ed Perkins, a longtime contributing editor at SmarterTravel, calls the up-front fees for selling your timeshare the biggest travel scam out there.

“Scammers promise to get you out from under, saying they have buyers, but all they really do is take a fee, upward of $400, and do nothing,” says Perkins.

Never pay up front to have someone help you sell your timeshare. If you want out, go to a licensed company and check them out with the Better Business Bureau before listing with them. If you’re having trouble getting out of your timeshare , work with a rental company and rent it out to recoup some of the money until you can sell.

Vacation Certificates

Ed Perkins also warns against prepaid vacation certificates: “Travel scams promise really great prices but deliver nothing. The idea here is to get the up-front money, then keep stalling: ‘Sorry, these dates are sold out; try again soon.’ They delay until people just quit trying.” Or the company charges huge additional fees to redeem the certificates, and the trip is considerably less luxurious than promised. Before prepaying for a vacation package, be sure to research fees and blackout dates, as well as the company’s reputation.

“Travel-Agent” Card Mills

Ah, the life of travel agents. Cheap hotels and airfares are thrown at their feet once they pull out their travel-agent ID cards, right? Wrong. Don’t believe the hype from outfits that promise to issue you a travel-agent ID that provides access to discounts. Scammers charge hundreds of dollars for these cards, but victims who shell out will quickly find that no place will accept the fakes, and they never see any discounts. The only way to avoid this travel scam is to not buy a travel-agent card if you’re not a travel agent—there’s really no legal way to get around it.

Car-Rental Collision Damage Waivers

Rick Steves calls the car-rental collision damage waivers (CDW) a “collision damage waiver racket” for a reason. When you rent a car, the company often pressures you to buy a CDW supplement, which will prevent you from having to pay a high insurance deductible if the car is damaged. (The deductible can be thousands of dollars before insurance kicks in.)

But most major credit cards already include deductible collision coverage for free , so check your credit-card terms and pay for the rental car with your credit card. Then you’ll be covered without having to shell out extra cash for phony insurance. Most credit-card collision coverage is secondary, meaning you have to claim from your regular insurance first. If you don’t want a claim on your insurance, you can buy third-party primary collision coverage from the booking agency for about $10-$11 a day. Or, if it’s pricey, you can instead buy coverage from an independent outlet; sites like Bonzah.com offer rental coverage from $7.99 per day. That’s about one-third of what the rental companies charge.

“You Won a Free Trip!”

If you’ve ever dropped your business card in a “win a free trip” drawing at a restaurant or signed up to win at a fair, you may have gotten a phone call, letter, or email claiming you’ve won a free vacation. These days, the hustle is often via robocall. Be wary—many of these “prizes” are actually booby traps in which you’ll have to pay hefty fees to claim the vacation or give your credit card number to “verify your eligibility,” resulting in identity theft. After a recent lull in monitoring these robocalls, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is again cracking down on them. If you’re scammed, get the names of resorts and airlines included in the prize and call them independently to verify the trip. Never give credit card information to someone who cold-calls you, and be sure to get details of the prize in writing before accepting.

Fake International Driving Permits

The FTC also warns against fake International Driving Permits (IDPs) . Some countries require tourists to have an IDP in addition to a U.S. driver’s license. However, there are only two American associations that are legally authorized to issue IDPs—the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA). Fraudulent companies sell fake IDPs over the Internet, but you’ll pay hundreds of dollars for a permit only to face legal problems for using the imposter IDs in another country.

The Bait and Switch

The hotel you’re thinking of booking is suspiciously cheap, but the property’s website makes it look beautiful and centrally located. When you arrive, the hotel is run-down, missing amenities, and in a deserted part of town—and it won’t refund your money. Avoid this travel scam by using websites like Oyster (one of SmarterTravel’s sister sites) and TripAdvisor (SmarterTravel’s parent site) to read real customer reviews and see honest photos of the property.

“Grandparent” Travel Scams

Even if you’re not currently traveling, you can still be the victim of a travel scam: The State Department warns that scammers will call an older relative or friend of someone who’s away on vacation and pretend to be the traveler in desperate need of help. The scammer usually poses as the traveler or a foreign government official and directs the victim to wire a large sum of money, citing an array of things: They have been robbed and need money to return to the United States, or they have run into legal trouble and need bail money. Sometimes the scammer will even pretend to be someone from the U.S. embassy calling on behalf of the relative for money. Never wire money in response to a suspicious phone call; instead contact the State Department to ask if the situation is legitimate, or call your relative directly. If you encounter this scam, the FBI advises you report it to local authorities or a state consumer protection agency. You can also file a complaint with the FCC .

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) offers the following advice to prevent “grandparent” travel scams:

Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mothers’ maiden names, passwords, or other identifying information in response to suspicious calls or to callers demanding immediate action. Scammers can spoof the caller ID of their number to make it appear to be from a trusted source. If a caller claiming to represent a company or a government agency asks for personal information, hang up and verify the authenticity of the request by contacting the company or agency yourself, using information found on its official website or through other means such as the phone book. If a caller claims to represent a company with which you have an account—such as a utility or a bank—hang up and check the contact information on a recent bill or statement, then call the company back yourself.

Rental Property Scam

Rule of thumb: Never go to Craigslist (or anything similar) for a rental home. Scammers will place an ad and ask the victim to wire money to secure the vacation rental—and then disappear. Or they’ll have you send money to them rather than to the actual property owner. Avoid the rental scam risk by going through a reputable vacation rental site with protections and insurance guarantees such as Airbnb , HomeAway , or SmarterTravel’s sister site FlipKey , all of which will protect your money from fraudsters.

Bogus Travel Agents

Don’t trust a tour operator or packager you don’t know of or can’t find reviews of easily online—especially with a big payment. An even more worrisome version of these travel scams in the U.S. is fake versions of websites: You search for a hotel or tour and get through to what looks like a legitimate website from a known company. But it isn’t: It’s a copy-cat version run by a scamster who paid a lot of money for a good search engine position. At best, after you make a payment, the hotel will honor your reservation—but probably at a higher price than you should have paid. At worst, you get nothing.

Take a close look at the website’s URL. Unsure if it’s right? Do a new search to find the company’s homepage and compare it to the first half of the link—any rogue characters, numbers, or symbols might mean it’s a fake. You should also never pay for a service via wire transfer, or any other irreversible money-transfer system.

Currency Short-Changing

A longstanding travel scam relies on tourists’ unfamiliarity with a foreign currency. This can take various forms: counterfeit bills, miscounting change, mixing smaller bills into what should be a pile of larger notes, etc. Get to know the bills of any country you visit, and limit the amount of foreign currency you exchange and have with you at any time. Get your foreign currency from an ATM, and put all your big-ticket purchases on a credit card.

Counterfeit Event Tickets

These days, high-tech forging can make almost any piece of paper or cardboard look authentic. Don’t buy a high-priced ticket (or even a low-priced one) to a sold-out event from someone on the street or via an unfamiliar website. You might be turned away at the gate. Buy from an authorized source—the box office or an online dealer that’s a verified reseller.

Fake Tour Guides

Have you ever been walking in a tourist-frequented area and had someone approach you offering to be your guide? Of course, you would have no idea in this situation whether this person has any useful knowledge of the city, but you may be coaxed into a nearby store that they claim offers the “best” prices on local specialties.

Pre-arrange a guide through an official tourism office or a local travel agency so you can compare prices and know what you’re getting. I once arranged the best local guide I ever had through an American Express agency. A university history professor showed us the fantastic National Museum of Damascus in Syria.

Credit Card Fraud

One of many potential credit card fraud risks is the familiar “verification call” gambit. In this travel scam, within a few hours of checking into a hotel, you get a call from someone claiming to be at the front desk to “verify” the details of the card you used. Of course, that caller is a scammer with no connection to the hotel who just wants to get your card data. In this and any other situations, be highly suspicious of anyone who calls you asking for credit or debit card information, no matter how plausible the excuse may seem. Tell the caller you’ll be right down to settle the problem, and instead call a known number, like the hotel’s direct line, to settle whatever account is involved.

More from SmarterTravel:

• How to Avoid Counterfeit Money While Traveling
• 6 Cruise Scams You Should Never Fall For
• Europe Travel Scams to Watch Out For

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2012. It has been updated to reflect the most current information. Caroline Morse Teel and Ed Perkins contributed to this story.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

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That's Ridiculous! A $6,995 Club Membership for Travel Discounts

By Christopher Elliott

Cathy Evans doesn't fit the profile of a typical scam victim. She's an account manager for a technology company in Boston, and she likes to think of herself as a discerning customer. So when she got a voicemail on her cell phone offering her a "free" cruise, she did what most savvy consumers do: she deleted it. But Evans' boyfriend, who received the same phone call, thought the "exclusive, members-only" discounts offered through a travel club called Pacific Palm Destinations ( www.pacificpalmdestinations.com ) in Woburn, Mass., looked appealing. "He really wanted to go on the trip," she says. They attended one of its seminars and they both liked the pitch. "They claimed that they are the largest wholesale travel club and that you can buy any kind of vacation for a fraction of what you'd pay on Orbitz," she says. Also, the renewal rate was just $169 a month, or $2,028 a year -- a fraction of her initial $6,995 membership. She signed up with her credit card on the spot. "It didn't occur to me that none of what was promised actually even exists," she says. Evans asked about Pacific Palms' cancellation policy, and a representative said although it "didn't have one" he could give her 72 hours. After she researched Pacific Palms online, she asked for her money back. Others aren't so lucky. Most travel clubs offer a shorter cancellation window or none at all, even when state law requires it. They make big promises during high-pressure sales presentations held at malls or in rented office spaces. They usually target retirees with disposable income, although they'll take your money if you're on a fixed income, too. But most importantly, the "exclusive" discounts don't really exist. Any halfway competent bargain-hunter can find travel deals that are just as good or better online, no membership required. Stories like Evans have been a staple of my consumer advocacy practice from the beginning. Here's a virtually identical case from 2010 with a slightly different outcome . And here's a similar club in Massachusetts in which the state Attorney General took action. What did Evans' research reveal? Other complaints that suggested to her that the offer was bogus. Several other reviews seemed to concur with that assessment. The company insists its product is on the up-and-up. "We have done nothing as a company that is unethical or against what we represent," it wrote in a rebuttal to one online complaint . "The unfortunate thing is that people such as yourselves join our program go home and try to find a reason as to why they shouldn't have and believe anything they read online instead of contacting us and even attempting to book travel and seeing the type of savings we can provide." Evans dug deeper, and says her research unearthed lawsuits and a shady network of travel clubs across the country. According to an investigator for the New Jersey state Attorney General, there's even a course you can take in Las Vegas on how to pull off a vacation club scam. It covers everything the aspiring travel club startup needs to know, from crafting bogus sales pitches to renting an office with a short-term lease, to dealing with pesky customer credit-card disputes. "It really bugs me that no one is taking action and innocent people are getting ripped off," she says. Evans is brave to come forward with her complaint, for two reasons. Most people who participate in travel clubs and who have buyer's remorse don't talk about it publicly. "Most people are too embarrassed to admit they fell for such a scam and they don't report it," she told me. "Probably even more people have not attempted to book their free trip or use the travel services yet -- so they don't even know they've been taken." And second, like other travel clubs, the one she's dealing turns aggressive when its legitimacy is questioned. "I'm concerned about this group seeking revenge against me," she says. Evans probably isn't travel club material, which is yet another reason she's so outspoken. Most of the victims I've met are barely computer literate. Anyone who can fire up a smartphone and type the words "Pacific Palms" and "scam" into Google is unlikely to shell out $6,995 for a club membership, regardless of how good the offer sounds. Scam artists usually look for retired Baby Boomers who are uncomfortable using the Internet and -- above all, trusting. People like my parents. I sent Pacific Palms several e-mails asking about its operation and Evans' case. A company representative responded in writing just after my deadline, saying Evans had entered into a contract with the company "of her own free will" on March 21. She asked for a refund within 24 hours and was immediately given one. "She never attempted to use our services our got the opportunity to see what we could offer for her," the representative said. "Although we were sorry that we didn't have the opportunity to work with her, Mrs. Evans had every right to cancel her contract. She exercised that right and we obliged accordingly," it said, adding, "For her to say we scammed her in any way or that we did not do as we were supposed to is totally false." "On that note, please understand that you if choose to pursue any kind of slander [sic] against our company, based on these false allegations, we will seek legal counsel to stop you," the representative cautioned. So noted. I've said this before, and I'll say it again: In two decades of consumer advocacy, I've never come across a legitimate travel club. Ever. Is it possible that Pacific Palms is a legitimate company, and that Evans is just a disgruntled former customer? Sure, anything is possible. By the way, if you've lost thousands of dollars to a travel club that you believe is fraudulent, don't wait. Contact local law enforcement, your state's Attorney General, and the Federal Trade Commission, as soon as possible. The more complaints these agencies receive about travel club scams, the faster they can shut 'em down. And don't skip the feds; these operators like to jump across state lines and start over. An FTC consent order will make that really difficult. In the end, travel club scams exist because we let them. We want to believe we can pay a few thousand dollars and get a "free" trip and deeply discounted travel. We're trusting and we take people at their word. And as long as we do, these scams will continue. Christopher Elliott is the author of the book "Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals" (Wiley). He's also the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine and the co-founder of the Consumer Travel Alliance, a nonprofit organization that advocates for travelers. You can read more tips on his blog, elliott.org or e-mail him at [email protected] . Christopher Elliott receives a great deal of reader mail, and though he answers them as quickly as possible, your story may not be published for several months because of a backlog of cases.

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10 common travel scams, and how to protect yourself when traveling

Editor's Note

Travel can be a rewarding and relaxing experience — some of my favorite memories are from trips I've taken with friends or by myself.

However, scam artists are everywhere, and anyone can fall prey to a scheme — especially if you're in an unfamiliar place. Also, some scams specifically target certain groups of people, such as women, older travelers or kids.

The Federal Trade Commission received nearly 54,000 reports of travel scams in 2021, with $95 million in total reported losses for consumers and a median loss of $1,112 per person.

Safety is important when planning travel, so we've compiled a list of common travel scams, how to spot them and ways to protect your wallet and personal information while you're away from home.

New to The Points Guy? Sign up for our daily newsletter .

This certainly isn't an exhaustive list of all the types of scams you may encounter while traveling, but it will give you an idea of some of the most common travel scams and how to spot them.

Timeshare and vacation club scams

Timeshare scams are easily one of the most lucrative travel scams. The FTC and many state attorney general offices have cracked down hard on this type of fraud, but it can still happen. These scams can be broken down into two main types: timeshare presentation scams and timeshare resale scams.

A timeshare is a real estate property that is sold to multiple buyers with each allotted a certain amount of time at the property each year (usually one week).

Oftentimes, timeshare sellers will host presentations with the promise of a free hotel stay or gift for those who attend. Do your research before you jump on what seems like a too-good-to-be-true deal.

Before attending a timeshare presentation, make sure you research the specific developer selling the timeshares. You can check out the Better Business Bureau website to look up complaints against the developer and get a better picture of other people's experiences.

Related: I suffered through a timeshare sales presentation for a cheap vacation

Timeshare scams can happen on the backend of a deal, too.

Once you purchase a timeshare, it can be very difficult to resell your share. Unfortunately, this is where scammers often lurk. Someone may promise to sell your timeshare quickly and painlessly for an upfront fee. Once that fee is paid, they either disappear or claim that they were unsuccessful.

If you do decide to go with a resale company, make sure to look up relevant laws in the state or country where your timeshare is located (or reach out to a lawyer to help). Also, when you do meet with a company, don't sign anything at the first meeting. Take any documents home and read through the fine print before you make a decision.

Multilevel marketing scams

Multilevel marketing scams, or MLMs, work similarly to pyramid schemes with a direct sales model that encourages existing members to recruit new members, while also paying into the parent company for special access. For travel, you're asked to pay a monthly price for credits you can apply to the cost of the cruise or a vacation. However, after you've paid every month, you still need to add more to cover your "upgraded" cruise fee. But wait, there's a way around this, says the company. Simply sign up some friends and family for the same plan and you'll get more credits. The more people you sign up, the better. And of course, the people you've brought on board with you can sign up more members, too. And yet, the cost of your dream vacation is still just out of reach, so you have to keep signing people up and paying monthly, and so on and so on.

You may have seen this model with vitamins, diet cookies, lawn fertilizer or other pay-to-play MLMs. Before you commit to one of these for cruises or travel, look carefully at what you'll be paying upfront before you bring on any other "investors." In most, if not all cases, you can get the same, if not better, value from booking directly with a cruise line or authorized travel agent.

Internet search scams

In a recent article, Travel Weekly identified "flyer beware" scams where an internet search for an airline customer service phone number results in second-party numbers. These phone numbers seem legitimate. However, instead of connecting you directly with the airline, they instead route you to unofficial call centers that don't reveal their affiliations. Then, they bill you not only for exorbitantly priced tickets but also for high charges -- often in the $500 range -- tacked onto the nonrefundable airline tickets.

To counter this scam, it's important to look closely at the listings when you search for an airline's customer service number online -- the first option that pops up isn't necessarily the official one. Copy and paste the number into the search bar to see its official registration. Also, click through the link to the website it's associated with, and then find the homepage. It should then be clear where you've landed.

Once you arrive at your destination, there is a new bucket of deceits you need to be alert to, including the taxi scam. This common scheme happens when you take a taxi or another car service in an unfamiliar destination where rates are determined by the distance of the drive. Your driver may take a much longer, often circuitous route to get to your destination in order to maximize the cost of your fare.

The age of Google Maps makes it easier to thwart one of these scams, even in an area you're not familiar with. Whenever possible, pull up the route on your smartphone's map app to make sure your driver is actually taking you on the most direct route.

If you suspect you're being led astray, ask for them to take the more direct route, then get a receipt and also take a picture of the registration number or the driver's ID card so you can follow up with local authorities or your credit card company later if need be.

Related: How to avoid getting scammed by your taxi driver

In addition, always take licensed cabs or taxis, or use a reputable ride-hailing app (the latter is a good way to know the price in advance and have proof of your journey request).

'Incorrect change' scams

If you're traveling to a place with an unfamiliar currency, someone may try to take advantage of this by giving you incorrect change or insisting you gave them a different bill than you did. This is especially common in places where cash is used more regularly and different bills look similar.

To protect yourself, research the currency at your destination before you travel so you're familiar with it when you arrive. Also, count your change before walking away to make sure you get the right amount.

Ticket scams

People will often try to sell tickets to attractions, buses, trains and more outside of venues and transportation stations. They'll claim the tickets are discounted or offer them as a way to jump the line. However, these tickets can be fake or expired when you try to actually use them. Also, as technology has improved over the years, so have these fake tickets. They can look almost identical to the real thing.

The best way to avoid this is to always purchase any tickets — whether to a concert, a tourist attraction, a bus, a train or a ferry – from an official ticket booth or the official website. Or, work with your hotel concierge to secure admission to hard-to-access venues.

'Attraction closed' scams

You may come across someone claiming an attraction you want to visit, a show you want to see or even a train or ferry you have tickets for is closed. Then they'll direct you somewhere else where you'll be pressured to pay for tickets or buy something.

No matter what someone outside a venue or transportation station tells you, always get your information from the ticket booth or official website as to whether something is closed.

If you made a reservation or bought tickets for a certain time, it's more than likely open. After all, why would an attraction sell you a ticket for something that's closed or unavailable?

'Free item' scams

We've all heard the phrase "if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is."

When you travel, you may be approached by someone with "free" merchandise. Maybe they offer you free food and drinks, or maybe they try to put a bracelet around your wrist. In major tourism areas, you may be asked if you want your picture taken in front of certain attractions or with dressed-up characters on the street.

Be cautious anytime anyone offers anything that is "free," because you'll often be required to pay for it after the fact. If someone approaches you and tries to put something on your body, refuse firmly and give anything they did put on you back to them immediately.

Credit card-skimming scams

No matter who you are or where you go, there's a chance someone could use a card skimmer to steal your credit card information.

Card skimming comes in many forms. Some scammers use a skimmer attached to an ATM or gas pump. Sometimes restaurant workers may skim your card when you pay the bill. You may even have your card skimmed with a handheld device.

Credit cards have come a long way over the years in terms of payment security, and pretty much every credit card out there will have fraud protection. That doesn't mean credit card fraud isn't still a major concern.

When you're using your card at an ATM or at the pump, pay attention to the card reader. Does it stick out farther than normal? Is the card reader loose?

Some gas stations put a seal over the card reader panel so you know it hasn't been tampered with, so check that as well. If anyone makes an excuse to be close to you (which is already a bit of a red flag because of COVID-19 and social distancing measures), they may be trying to steal your card details with a handheld wireless device.

Credit card skimmers can also use near-field communication and radio-frequency identification devices to steal your credit card information.

While it's not nearly as common as people using skimmers on ATMs or other card readers, it can still happen. Contactless credit cards and EMV chip cards are not immune, either — cards still come with a magnetic stripe that RFID readers can grab information from and NFC devices can read your contactless card.

Of course, chip and contactless cards both have built-in safety nets that make it harder for scammers to actually use your credit card details once they have them. That doesn't make it impossible, though.

The best thing you can do is monitor your accounts for suspicious activity and make sure you keep your wallet in a secure place (your back pocket does not qualify) while you travel. If you want to go all-out against contactless scanners, you can buy an RFID-blocking wallet, but there is debate in the payments security space over whether they are a worthwhile purchase.

When I travel, I make sure to log in to my bank apps (never on public Wi-Fi, though) once per day to make sure no unauthorized charges have popped up. If you do notice suspicious activity on your account, many issuers allow you to request a freeze on your account via the app or online.

Related: How to spot and report credit card fraud

Related: 15 TPG editor-approved passport holders to buy before your next trip

Public Wi-Fi network scams

Free Wi-Fi networks can be a godsend when you are traveling — especially if you don't have a roaming data package for your phone.

However, public Wi-Fi hot spots are almost always lax on security. That means someone can steal personal information while you use the network, including bank and credit card account information if you log in while using them. If you do use a public network at a coffee shop, airport or other public space, be wary of logging in to any sensitive sites like your bank or medical profiles.

Related: How to secure your data when using public Wi-Fi

A virtual private network is a popular way to ensure your connection is secure no matter where you go. These work by routing your internet connection through a private server (owned by your VPN company) so that data transmitted comes from the VPN rather than your computer.

This hides your IP address and encrypts your data so that hackers and other entities that might want to snoop through your personal information hit a dead end. It's a great investment whether you travel all the time or just like to visit your local coffee shop that offers free Wi-Fi. They generally cost less than $20 per month (and that's at the expensive end of the spectrum).

Not all VPNs are created equal, so do your research on the best one for your needs. Can you find a VPN that costs less than $10 per year? Yes. Is that VPN worth it? Debatable.

In addition, if you have a smartphone or other device, make sure it's password protected. Most people likely have some sort of passcode set up on their phone — especially since the inception of fingerprint and facial IDs on smartphones. You may not think about the importance of a strong password on your personal laptop or tablet, though.

Set up a password or PIN on all your devices so if the worst case happens and they get stolen, someone will have a much harder time breaking into them.

Bottom line

Travel scams are more common than you might think — tens of thousands of U.S. citizens alone report being scammed each year.

Scammers are smart, and many scams target specific groups of individuals who may be more vulnerable while traveling, such as women traveling alone, older travelers and kids.

Travel is meant to be a fun and rewarding experience, and getting scammed can put a real damper on any trip.

Knowing the kinds of scams that exist can help you protect yourself and your traveling companions while you are away from home. Hopefully, this guide has outlined how to spot some of the most common dangers.

Additional reporting by Melissa Klurman.

Top 5 travel scams

Scams are all around us and unfortunately, travel scams tend to be near the top of the heap. It seems that for every legitimate travel offer there is one that isn’t.

According to the National Fraud Information Center , the average loss to fraud in 2004 was $803 per incident — up from $468 two years before. While travel is not at the top of the fraud list (that is reserved for online auctions), it is number two in frequency of complaints. Be sure to steer clear of the folks who are only out to separate you from your travel money.

Don’t be a victim of these 5 top travel scams.

1. Discount travel clubs Usually a bad idea. If your travel club is asking for more than a few dollars for membership, they are probably scamming you. They will offer a discounted menu of trips (of course it is discounted — they said so didn’t they?), only available to members. For this membership, you get the privilege of booking the trip, probably a substandard product and a newsletter. They get your money plus the commission paid by the travel supplier. It’s a great asset to anyone’s cash flow. Travel clubs should be geared towards social engagement and any dues or membership paid should be reasonable and cover only the true costs.

2. Become a travel agent This is a scam that is running rampant now. Once you pay a fee to a company, it will issue “credentials” allowing you access to travel agent freebies and discounts and commissions on selling travel. First off, the days of freebies and discounts are done — trust me, they are few and far between. Secondly, in order to sell travel and be recognized by a supplier, you need to be affiliated with either a travel agency or be registered as an independent seller of travel with either the Cruise Lines International Association or the Airlines Reporting Corporation. Believe me, this is a perfect example of the old axiom, “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

3. Deceptive pricing Know the real price. Know the final price. Look at any major airline ad and you will see their too good to be true fares. The problem is the fine print. The ads are for a one way fare based on round trip purchases. Presto, your cost has doubled. It seems the airlines are more adept at creative pricing than flying their own planes. From frequent flier redemption to unavailable seats, to bogus two-for-one offers, they know all the tricks. But be careful, while the airlines are masters of this scam, they do not have a patent on the practice. Be sure you read all of the fine print before you hand over the credit card or click on the “buy” button.

4. Timeshares People marketing timeshares are slick. They are not afraid to lie, cheat, or steal to make a sale. Most timeshare offers are made while you are already on vacation and your guard is down, but many are from contest entry forms where you fill out a form while waiting for your Chinese take-out. Very simply, never agree to a meeting or a presentation. Ask that any information be sent to you. Once in a presentation, you have put yourself in physical and fiscal danger. A client of ours just returned from Mexico where he thought he agreed to extend his stay to try out a timeshare. When he returned, he found that his credit card had been charged $37,000 and he was a proud new owner of a timeshare — Spanish contracts tend to be confusing if you are not fluent in the language.

5. Out of business If you want to make a donation, do it to a charity for Tsunami Aid and not some corrupt or failing business. Cruise lines, tour operators, airlines, and yes, even travel agencies, have all gone under and left the consumer holding the bag.

While life offers no guarantees, you can hedge your bets a little.

Check out the company Are they members of a professional organization such as the American Society of Travel Agents , Association of Retail Travel Agents , or the Cruise Lines International Association ? Do they belong to a local Chamber of Commerce? These are all indicative of someone who is serious about doing business with you.

How long have they been around? Question the experience and tenure of the employees. Are there any complaints with the Better Business Bureau ? Don’t pay with cash or checks. Remember, just because someone says they have the best deal, does not mean it is so. Anyone can open an online store in less than ten minutes for less than $200? It will take less time than that to recoup the investment tenfold.

Do your due diligence ASTA’s consumer site, TravelSense offers more tips for keeping your travel purchases safe from the con artists. If you suspect you have been a victim of travel fraud, notify ASTA’s consumer affairs office , or call the National Fraud Information Center’s hotline at (800) 876-7060, and check with your local law enforcement agencies to see if they can help you.

Be careful out there. Scams are everywhere and they prey on you when you are least expecting. John Frenaye is the president of JVE Group, Inc., a diversified company which operates the Carlson Wagonlit Travel associate office in Arnold, Md. With a background in business management, he writes about the travel industry as an insider with an outsider's perspective. or .

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Timeshares, Vacation Clubs, and Related Scams

Are you thinking about going to a sales presentation, buying a timeshare, or joining a vacation club? Make sure you know exactly what you’re getting into. You don’t want to be pressured into buying, or surprised later by unexpected charges or challenges when you try to book your timeshare or vacation club. What if you’re trying to sell your timeshare or membership? Watch for resale scams.

• How To Handle Sales Presentations
• What To Know Before You Commit

How To Avoid Timeshare Resale Scams

• How To Avoid Timeshare Exit Scams

Buying Undeveloped Property and Timeshares in a Foreign Country

Report timeshare scams, how to handle sales presentations .

Did you enter a raffle to win a free vacation, or get flyers in the mail, text messages, or emails inviting you to attend free live presentations to learn about timeshares or vacation clubs? Promoters often offer free vacations or other prizes if you attend a sales presentation. Once you’re there, the entire atmosphere is set up for you to feel like you’re already on a vacation. They show you amazing photos of luxurious resorts, or they take you on a tour of a similar unit you might consider buying as part of the timeshare.

Sometimes promoters will use different tactics to put pressure on you to buy now. They might try to wear you down by making you wait a long time between parts of the meeting or meet with several people. They hope that by the end of the presentation you’re so exhausted that you’ll sign anything just to get out of there. Also, promoters will often tell you the offer is only good now and won’t be there tomorrow to increase the pressure to act quickly.

Here’s some advice to help you handle timeshare or vacation club presentations:

• Research the company before you go to a presentation . Search online for complaints about the resort developer and the management company offering the presentation. See what others are saying about them.
• Don’t act quickly or under pressure . You’re committing to paying thousands of dollars — potentially for decades or for the rest of your life. Take your time. Ask the salesperson why today is the “only” day the deal is available. The company sets the rates, so why aren’t those available later? This kind of rush is a warning sign: they may not want you to talk to trusted advisers about the timeshare offer or stop and think about what you’re getting into.
• Ask about your ability to cancel the contract . This is sometimes referred to as a “right of rescission” or a  “cooling-off period”  — a time to cancel the deal after you’ve signed the papers. State law or your contract may say how long this period is. If you decide to cancel, send a letter to the seller by certified mail and ask for a return receipt, so you’ll have a record.
• Study the paperwork on your own. You have the right to get all promises in writing. If you’re looking to buy a timeshare in an undeveloped property, you also have a right to get a public offering statement. Take all the documents with you after the presentation and review them on your own or with someone you trust before you commit.

What To Know Before You Commit 

When you enter into a timeshare agreement, you’re paying for the right to use one or more vacation properties. Some timeshares give you the right to stay at the property for a specific length of time and with a specific frequency — for example, one week every year. Some timeshares are “points-based,” which allows you to use your points at different properties throughout the year. Timeshare “owners” usually pay an initial fee to get into the timeshare agreement, plus regular maintenance fees and other recurring charges.

Not all timeshares work the same way. For example:

• Some timeshare agreements give you the right to stay at a specific resort for a specified period of time at a specific interval (for example, the second week of August every other year). The week you get may change every year or it may be consistent from year-to-year.
• “Deeded timeshares” let you buy a specific unit for a specific week each year. Legally, these timeshares are considered real property that your heirs may inherit.
• Points-based timeshares provide you with a specified number of points that you can use throughout the year at designated properties. The number of points needed will vary depending on the property, location, length of stay, and time of year. For some timeshares, your points expire each year, so unused points from one year won’t carry over to the next year. Instead, you’ll get new points each year.

The laws that govern timeshares are specific to the state where the property is located. The sales staff may tell you that a timeshare is a solid financial asset, but the value of a timeshare is in its use as a vacation destination, not as an investment. Plus, your timeshare may include hefty ongoing and recurring fees for maintenance and other items.

Vacation Clubs

Some vacation clubs are a variation of a timeshare: you pay an initial fee, and once you’re enrolled, you select resorts to stay at. The difference is you pay each time for the cost of staying there. Other vacation clubs claim that, once you enroll, you’ll get discounts on travel, lodging, or other amenities during your vacation.

Before you enroll in a vacation club, be clear on what you’re getting. Even if marketers and salespeople are using the term “vacation club,” they might be talking about different things.

Before you commit to a timeshare or a vacation club

• Find out the true cost . Add up all the payments, including the initial payment, fees, taxes, and travel costs to get there, plus any other yearly charges. Is that the amount you want to spend on a vacation every year?
• Get the details of any exchange program . If the timeshare or vacation club claims that you can exchange your points or weeks to vacation at different properties, find out if there’s an extra charge for booking a property through the exchange — or additional charges for different types of properties. Is this still a good deal?
• the length of your stay
• the type of unit you’re booking
• where the resort is located
• when you want to go

Consider whether you’ll have the points you need to take the kind of vacations you want. If you’re allowed to buy points to upgrade, find out how much it will cost .

• Factor in increases to annual timeshare maintenance fees . Most timeshares have an annual maintenance fee. Those fees typically increase at rates that equal or exceed inflation, so ask whether your plan has a fee cap. You’ll have to pay fees and taxes, even if you don’t use your timeshare.
• Know what happens if you want to get out . Selling a timeshare might be difficult. Find out if your timeshare company offers an exit program and how it works. If you’re considering a vacation club, make sure you know how to cancel if you don’t want to be enrolled anymore.

Getting out of a timeshare might be tough. Before you pay a company to help you sell your timeshare, contact the timeshare developer or the resort’s management company and ask about your options. The American Resort Development Association (ARDA) has  a tool to help  you identify the company that you need to contact, along with other resources.

You’ll see or hear lots of ads from companies claiming to be experts at selling timeshares — they’re online, on the radio, and on social media. But sometimes these companies exaggerate or flat-out lie about what they offer you. They take your money and then do little to nothing to help you.

These are some of the things you’ll see in timeshare resale ads:

• “The market is ‘hot,’ so we’ll sell your unit fast.” (That’s a lie.)
• “Your timeshare will sell quickly,” or “it will sell in months.” (Unlikely.)
• “We have lots of buyers ready to purchase your timeshare.” (Doubtful.)
• “We guarantee you’ll get big returns on your resale.” (That’s a lie.)

Be careful — these could be ads from timeshare resale scammers who will take your money but won’t help you sell your timeshare. The truth is, the timeshare market is overcrowded, and it might be hard, if not impossible, to sell a timeshare. Anyone who guarantees a sale or big returns is a scammer.

To avoid timeshare resale scams, make sure to

• Check out the seller. Contact the  state attorney genera l  and  local consumer protection agencies  in the state where the reseller is located. Ask if they have any complaints on file. Also, search online for the name of the reseller, plus words like “complaint” or “scam.”
• Ask about fees.  It’s better to do business with a reseller that takes fees  after  the timeshare is sold. If you have to pay a fee in advance, get refund policies in writing.
• Find out if the reseller’s agents are licensed to sell real estate where your timeshare is located . Deal only with licensed real estate agents and brokers. Check with the real estate licensing agency in the state where the timeshare is located. Also ask for references from satisfied clients.
• Ask how the reseller will advertise and promote the timeshare . Will you get progress reports? If so, how often? You want to make sure that the company will be active in selling the timeshare. If they’re only putting the property on a resale list, that may not be very helpful.
• Get everything in writing.  Read the contract carefully to make sure it matches the verbal promises you’ve gotten. Make sure it includes the services the reseller will perform, plus any fees you’ll have to pay and when. If the deal isn’t what you expected or wanted, don’t sign the contract.

Don’t assume you’ll get back what you paid for your timeshare. Consider using a timeshare appraisal service to analyze the value of a timeshare you might want to buy or sell. Make sure the appraiser is licensed in the state where the timeshare is located. Check with the state where the timeshare is based to see if the appraiser’s license is current in that state.

How To Avoid Timeshare Exit Scams

Even when you’re not looking for a way out of your timeshare, scammers might use public records to find your contact information and try to convince you to sell. They’ll say they can help you get out of your timeshare, and maybe even make money. Other scammers and shady companies place ads where they “guarantee” results, but ask you to pay in advance for listing, advertising, or legal services.

If you make a payment, scammers might do nothing. Sometimes they’ll take your money and simply contact the timeshare company on your behalf — something you could do for free.

Here are some signs to help you spot timeshare exit scams:

• Unsolicited calls or messages offering advice or assistance to get out of your timeshare
• “Guarantees” or “promises” to cancel your timeshare contract 
• Demands you pay large up-front fees before they do anything
• Instructions to stop paying your mortgage or fees

Want to explore your exit options? Start by contacting your timeshare company directly. Some include exit programs that let you get out of your contract. If you decide to hire a timeshare exit company, before you pay or sign any documents:

• Research the company. Search online for the company's name, plus the words "scam" or "complaint." See what other people are saying about their experience.
• Study the paperwork on your own. Get all promises in writing. It’s your right.
• Ask about your ability to cancel the contract. In certain circumstances you have the right to a cooling-off period — a time when you can cancel the deal after you’ve signed the papers.

If you’re interested in buying undeveloped property in a foreign country

• Get detailed documents from the developer showing how and when they expect to complete the development. Get copies of the permits that the developer must have to do the work.
• Do some independent research. Don’t make a decision based solely on what you see on the company’s website or what the developers say. Talk with other people about their experience and visit the area before buying any land.
• Consult with an independent financial advisor. Talk with someone not associated with the development, or its marketing firm, to get a full picture of the investment. Ask them to help you figure out how buying abroad would impact your finances.
• Hire an independent real estate agent in the foreign country. They can help you look at properties in multiple developments so you can comparison shop.
• Get everything in writing and don’t sign any documents you don’t understand.
• Use an escrow account as the payment method . Escrow services accept and hold payment from you until you get and approve the purchase. Then, the escrow service forwards the payment to the seller. That’s one way to help protect your money.

Report timeshare resale scams or other scams related to timeshares and vacation clubs to

• the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
• the state attorney general in the state where the timeshare is located
• the Better Business Bureau (BBB)

Don't let a dream vacation become a nightmare: How to avoid travel scams

As we settle into winter and begin to dream of warm locales to get away, be careful of an increasing number of travel scams, the Better Business Bureau warns. 

The BBB national Scam Tracker has tracked multiple reports of travel scams involving fake airline and booking sites and phone numbers.  

In 2021, BBB's Scam Tracker had 339 reported scams involving travel. The total reported lost on travel scams in 2021 on BBB's Scam Tracker exceeded $350,000. Scams range from time lost and personal security information threatened to tens of thousands on any single report. 

Most reports mention consumers booking a flight or vacation deal with what appeared to be a legitimate site or a major airline phone number.

Deals 'too good to be true': Why booking flights on third-party websites can be risky

Learn more: Best travel insurance

'They should've helped me': Booking through third parties like Expedia leaves some travelers stranded

But then, after the booking, consumers never received a confirmation email or information about the trip. Many consumers never receive booking information. Others are soon contacted by the scammers stating the "deal" was expired or canceled. The scammer then offers a different deal for a higher price. The scammers urge consumers to provide credit card details or to make larger purchases by canceling the previous "deal" and booking another.

How to report a scam

Consumers have reported contacting the major airlines and finding out the booking information does not exist. Travelers have been stranded at airports after only one legitimate ticket purchase. Others report several repeating charges made after the initial purchase.

Some reported scam websites are PSSTravel.net, EDreams.net, [email protected] , and Esky.com, the BBB said. 

Tips to spot a travel scam

► The Better Business Bureau reminds consumers to be sure the website or contact information is from a legitimate business or to verify with the airline before providing any payment or personal information.

► Be especially wary of sites that use third parties to buy flight tickets.

► Just because the travel site looks nice does not mean it is trustworthy. 

► “No matter who you suspect may be on the phone, I would recommend never giving out personal information to an unsolicited caller,” said Akron BBB President and CEO Shannon Siegferth. “If you suspect a scam, hang up. If you feel the call was legitimate, verify the number independently and then call back. Do not feel pressured with time or let 'a deal' limit your due diligence in proper research of any organization prior to purchasing.” 

► Siegferth also suggests looking through a company's website, checking reviews and verifying that the organization is an accredited business with BBB.

“We advise consumers to ensure the company they are looking to purchase from clearly and prominently provides a direct and effective means to contact the organization. This includes a phone number, physical address and email address,” Siegferth said. 

► As with any scam, be leery if you are asked to send money upfront or via wire transfer or to pay via gift card, the BBB said. Communicate directly with your bank or other financial institution if you are suspicious of fraudulent charges. Your bank or financial institution will have an accurate account of your transactions and easily be able to know if your account has been compromised. 

► If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Scammers continue to evolve and pivot with their approach. Never assume you won't become a victim to some type of scam. The BBB said it sees scams happen to people  of all ages, and it is important to remember we all can be targets.   

If you are aware of a scam or have been a victim of a scam such as this, please report it to BBB's Scam Tracker www.bbb.org/scamtracker and the Federal Trade Commission reportfraud.ftc.gov or by phone at 877-382-4357.

Beacon Journal consumer columnist Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached [email protected]. Follow her @blinfisherABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ.

Travel Scams

Avoid being scammed while traveling

Keep these travel tips in mind and avoid being scammed when you’re taking your summer vacation or traveling throughout the year.

Vacationers are a favorite target for thieves. Everyone knows travelers often carry cameras, jewelry, credit cards and cash with them. All it takes is a momentary distraction for you to lose your valuables. Criminals also know tourists are often busy taking in the scenery, which can distract them from danger. We begin June with a list of common travel scams so you can be better prepared this travel season.

Common Scams When You’re Travelling

• Don’t accept taxi rides from people that approach you in airport baggage areas offering you taxi service discounts. If you take them up on their offer you may end up paying more than you should when the taxi driver takes a longer route to your hotel. Your best bet for an honest cab ride is the airport’s taxi stand.
• When the front desk tells you your room number make sure no one else could hear. Thieves are known to hang out in hotel lobbies gathering information on guests when they check in. If in doubt, ask for another room.
• Be wary of “shoulder surfers” when using public telephones. Vacationers are often targeted for their calling card numbers. They’re stolen when you type the numbers into phone keypads. Make sure you cover the pad by cupping your hand over the keypad or otherwise block your entry from preying eyes. There may be times you have to say your number out loud when speaking to an operator. When doing so, make sure no one else is within earshot.
• Be alert for distractions that could expose you to thieves and pickpockets. Examples are children showing you toys, garbage being thrown at you, squirting things on you, attractive members of the opposite sex rubbing against you, or situations where you’re expected to help someone out of compassion.
• Travelers are a popular target of car accident scams for insurance money. Be on the lookout for vehicles cutting you off or stopping in front of you suddenly and for no reason. If you hit them, you’ll be blamed immediately for damage to their car and personal injuries. If you’re involved in a car accident while on the road, take photos of the scene and write down as many details as you can. The other driver may claim more serious injuries or car damage than you saw.

Travel Club Scams

The fees can be high and the rewards few if you join a travel club to gain access to exclusive travel discounts

People that like to travel are always on the lookout for discounts. This can make them succeptible to travel club sales pitches. Travel clubs offer discounted travel packages to their members. To get in on the deal a membership fee is required. These travel club membership fees vary and can be as little as a few hundred dollars to as much as $10,000, with annual renewal fees of $150 to $300. That’s a lot of money to pay up front for a discount. The sad truth is that many of these clubs are nothing but a scam.

Travel Clubs Often Tareget Seniors

Travel clubs target seniors because they have both money and a yearn to travel. That’s a great combination for someone trying to make a sale. The brochures are loaded with photos of beautiful locales and the presentation by the sales staff will details the advantages membership will bring you. They’ll promise to take care of any obstacle that lies in the path between you and fabulous vacation settings. You’re aleady lockd into a time-share? No problem, they’ll help you sell it at a generous profit that makes membership all the more affordable. Some clubs even offer to set you up with 1 year-no-interest financing. Whatever you need, they’re there to help.

Guess what happens should you decide to jump on the vacation gravy chain?

Discount Travel Clubs – Reality Check

Any money paid to these clubs is probably wasted. What do you get for your membership? Nothing less than the opportunity to purchase vacations at discounted prices. This benefit would certainly justify paying a small fee were it not for a few minor problems. These are:

Are these vacation packages really discounted? How could you even know?

How does these packages compare with others? You might be able to find out yourself but the details of the package could make a fair comparison difficult.

Memership fees can be outrageous. How much you pay up front for your membership could indicate the degree to which you are getting scammed. You could argue that every penny is wasted if the travel club’s packages aren’t priced at a discount.

The truth is that many of these clubs collect fees both from you and the travel suppliers they work with. Travel clubs that serve social needs with modest dues that cover no more than club expenses are your best bet.

Travel Agent Scam Tips

Keep these travel scam tips in mind the next time you book your next vacation through a travel agent or agency.

• Check the company out Does the travel agent belong to a professional organization? (American Society of Travel Agents, Association of Retail Travel Agents, Cruise Lines International Association) Are they a member of the Chamber of Commerce? If you don’t know find out before you give them your money. If the answer to all of them is “no”, you have to wonder how serious this person is about being a travel agent.
• What’s their track record? Do the employees seem experienced? Are there complaints against this company at the Better Business Bureau? If you Google their name do you see reports of unhappy customers? It’s easy these days to start a travel company. Just build a half-decent website and away you go. If the company isn’t known to you do some research before you give them any money. Protect yourself by never paying for travel with credit cards. Never pay by personal check. Never, ever pay for travel with cash. Always use your credit card because if they rip you off you stand a good chance of recovering your funds as long as you report it to your credit card company soon enough.
• Do your due diligence! This means that you should always do some research before purchasing a vacation. I don’t care how well known and respected the company it is. The advertised deal you are responding to might cost more than you thought because of fees hidden in the fine print or an individual within a fine organization my use tactics that are less than ethical. Be on your guard at all times because with the price of travel these days, a lot of money is at stake.

Other Travel Scams

• Save money by becoming a travel agent Doesn’t this sound like a sly, savvy way to save money on travel? Travel agents have access to many freebies, discounts and commissions so why not become one? There’s more than one company out there waiting to take your money should you heed their ads. Once you’ve sent them the required fee, you’ll be sent documents that say you’re a travel agent. Now you can join in on the low-priced travel feeding frenzy, right? Wrong. These mythical discounts and freebies no longer exist. Furthermore, in order to sell travel and be recognized by a supplier, you need to be affiliated with either a travel agency or be registered as an independent seller of travel with either the Cruise Lines International Association or the Airlines Reporting Corporation.
• Deceptive pricing Expect to be lured by what appear at first glance to be low prices. Further scrutiny often reveals the sad truth hidden in the fine print. Additional fees and conditions can add up to a lot more than you might think. If a flight is only one-way you may need to double the amount! The travel industry is well rehearsed at creative pricing but the airline’s have turned it into an art form. They’ve given us frequent flier redemption to unavailable seats, to bogus two-for-one offers. It’s easy to miss something and get stuck with a bad deal. Make sure you aread all of the fine print and understand all of the costs associated with your trip before you finalize your purchase.
• Timeshare Scams We don’t think you should ever attend a timeshare presentation. If you’re truly interested in a property, ask them to send you some information through the mail. They’ll be happy to oblige and you can check it out in peace and quiet while you evaluate its pros and cons. A timeshare presentation can be a nightmare. You will be put under a lot of pressure to close a deal immediately because once you leave the room the low price you’ve been quoted is gone…forever! They don’t want you to think about it or have to to read the fine print or compare their properties with others. Who knows what you might find. You could walk out thinking you’ve purchased a deam vacation only to find out that you owe $50,000. Some consumers understand the real price they’re paying but are told how easy it is to sell their time for more than the original cost. You heard me right. You can turn this into a magic money machine. The salesperson really has no idea how easy it is or what prices you could fetch. What do they care. They just want to make a sale. Do yourself a favor and ask a lot of questions and insist that any claims made are supported by more than a salesperson’s say-so.
• Out of business This may not be intentional on the part of the cruise line, tour operator, airline or travel agency but when they go bankrupt and cease operations people lose out on vacations that have been paid for. You can lower your risk by checking on the financial health of the company, check the Better Business Bureau and purchase travel insurance when offered.

Travel Scam Tips

Travel scams can quickly turn a dream vacation into a nightmare. Our travel scam tips can help you avoid getting burned as you plan your next holiday!

• Be wary of offers “free” trip offers. If you are see an offer for a free trip or vacation and decide to respond, be ready for a sales pitch. The free trip offers are usually marketing ploys designed to lure you to them so that you can be hard sold on products or services you don’t want or need. That trip isn’t free when you’re asked to buy something first.
• Unsolicited travel offer emails. Most of these are total scams. If you didn’t ask for it, don’t respond. If you’re interested and have never heard of the company making the exciting offer, don’t respond. Our advice is that you never respond to unsolicited emails. Ever.
• Read the fine print. That awesome vacation package may have hidden fees lurking in the fine print. Read it. That’s what it’s there for. For example, the trip to Disneyland could be free, but you have to buy your own airline tickets and pay for your own hotel rooms once you arrive. Other times, you’re required to site through a long, time-consumer timeshare presentation or listen to a travel club’s sales pitch when you’re on your “free” trip.
• Deal or no deal? Don’t be surprised if your vacation deal ends up saving you less money than you expected. Once all arrangements are made you may realize that some of the package’s restrictions and requirements end up costing you more than if you’d booked the trip through your travel agent or done it yourself online. Some travel offers only apply if you bring someone else along with you and they pay regular prices. It will be there in the fine print, so make sure you read it!
• Are there restrictions? What good is that vacation deal if you can’t use it when you need to? It should come as no surprise that the best deals are to be had at off-peak travel times. This rules out family trips during school breaks, major holidays, or any other time people are known to travel. You may agree to purchase a trip only to find out later that the dates you want to travel on either cost a lot more than you were told or are booked solid.
• Confirm all arrangements and reservations. Are hotel and transportation to and from the airport included? If so, make sure you have either confirmation numbers or a way to confirm these travel arrangements yourself.
• Do some research before making a purchase. It’s never been easier to gather travel information on your own. You can contact your travel agent directly, grab a newspaper, check out a book from the library or search for it on the web. With only a little effort you can probably find a trip at a more competitive price than most offers you receive over the phone or in the mail. A little work can pay off big time if you’re willing to take the time.
• Pay for travel with your credit card. If you pay for a dream vacation and it turns out to be a scam or the company goes belly up, you’ll hate yourself if you paid for it with anything other than a credit card. Paying by credit card has many advantages over other payment methods. If you’re ripped off or find yourself needing to dispute charges you stand a good chance of getting your money back. Federal law says you are only liable for $50 if you report unauthorized charges soon enough.

How to Report Travel Fraud

If you’re a victim of travel fraud, notify ASTA’s office of consumer affairs, call the National Fraud Information Center’s hotline at 800-876-7060, or contact local law enforcement for help.

Visit our fraud reporting section for more information.

More Travel Scam Information

• Airline Ticket Web Site Phishing Scams
• Worst Hotel Scams
• Telemarketing Travel Scams

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Travel Scams

These days, travel planning starts on the internet. But as you research destinations online and comb travel sites for savings on lodging and flights, keep a sharp eye out for deceptive offers and outright scams that could cost you a bundle.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more than 53,891 reports of travel-related scams (including timeshare scams) in 2021, costing consumers $95 million — though the real numbers are likely far higher. Experts believe scams of all sorts are grossly underreported.

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Be especially wary when using third-party hotel booking sites. According to a 2019 survey conducted for the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), nearly a quarter of consumers reported being misled by travel resellers on the phone or online, affecting $5.7 billion in transactions in 2018.

Unscrupulous resellers draw consumers through search engine ads and send them, via links or posted phone numbers, to booking websites or call centers that appear to be affiliated with a hotel. The look-alike site will feature detailed descriptions of rooms and amenities; it might even have the hotel’s name in its URL. But you are not actually dealing with the hotel. This can have consequences ranging from inconvenient (the reseller doesn’t transmit special requests, such as a wheelchair-accessible room) to expensive (higher rates than the hotel actually charges or hidden fees tacked on to your bill) to potentially trip ruining (you arrive and discover the booking was never made).

The AHLA includes a warning about these scams on its website, encouraging consumers “to book directly through the hotel website or mobile app, or through a trusted travel agent.”

There’s plenty more to look out for. For example:

• Criminals operate look-alike websites for airlines, popular travel companies, tourist visa procurement, and federal Trusted Traveler programs like TSA PreCheck to harvest personal data from people who believe they're booking tickets or signing up for smoother airport screening.
• Scam emails offer promotions such as free flights to get you to give up credit card information or click links that download malware.
• Bogus insurance brokers sell travel policies they falsely claim will cover coronavirus-related cancellations.
• Scammers make up vacation-rental listings , or duplicate real ones, to collect payments for nonexistent bookings. 

Have you seen this scam?

• Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at  877-908-3360  or report it with the  AARP Scam Tracking Map .  
• Get  Watchdog Alerts  for tips on avoiding such scams.

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Warning Signs

• A cut-rate hotel or airline offer that seems too good to be true.
• A hotel, airline or travel website has odd spelling or grammatical errors, suggesting it may have been created by a scammer in a foreign country.
• A third-party website offering to expedite your tourist visa for a fee.

How to protect yourself from this scam

• Book on the official website of a hotel, airline or other travel business, or use a reputable third-party booking site.
• Carefully check a travel website’s URL. Scam sites may use “domain spoofing” tricks, such as an extra letter in the address, while mimicking major travel companies’ branding.    
• Use the  official government website  to sign up for TSA PreCheck. Online searches for the program can turn up scam sites.
• Get your tourist visa directly from the website of your destination country, to avoid scam sites that offer expedited visas (that you may never receive) for a fee. You’ll find links at travel.state.gov .
• Look for written policies on canceling or modifying reservations, and confirm them before booking
• Call the hotel or airline and confirm your reservation after booking on a travel website. If they don’t have a record of your booking, that may signal a problem that it’s best to solve well before you travel.
• If you land on an unfamiliar travel site, check it out before booking. Search for the company’s name plus words like “review,” “complaint” or “scam” to see if other consumers have had bad experiences with the site, and look it up in the  Better Business Bureau's database .
• Avoid clicking on links in emails with travel promotions like free airline tickets or warnings that your hotel loyalty points are about to expire. Mouse over the link to check whether it goes to a legitimate travel site.
• Use credit cards, which offer better fraud protection than debit cards, to pay for travel.

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• If you suspect a travel scam, file a complaint with the FTC  online  or at 877-382-4357.
• If it’s an online fraud, you can also report it to the FBI’s  Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) .

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What to do with a few hours in moscow march 25, 2013 12:43 pm   subscribe.

5 Reasons for Parents to Get a Sam's Club Membership

A s a parent with two kids, I know how expensive everyday life can be. Camps, extracurricular activities, vacations, and the week's groceries all add up fast. Which means finding a few ways to save money can go a long way to keeping your finances on track.

Many families, including mine, use discount warehouse club memberships to help reduce costs, and Sam's Club is a popular choice. Here are five reasons why parents may want to consider joining.

1. Discounts on youth glasses and contacts

Both of my kids needed glasses at a young age and I had sticker shock when they each got their first pair. Had I taken them to Sam's Club, my wallet would be a little fatter right now.

Many Sam's Club locations offer optical services, including eye exams. According to AllAboutVision, the exams cost an average of just $61.

You can also order your glasses and contacts at a discount. Small frames start at just $59. While the discount applies to all members, if you have the Sam's Club Plus membership, you'll receive an additional 20% off when you order prescription glasses.

2. Discount drug prescriptions for the entire family

A Sam's Club membership not only means you receive discount prices on prescription drugs, but your spouse and dependents do as well.

All Sam's Club members are eligible for specific discounts on prescription medication, which are an average of 65% lower than retail prices, according to Sam's Club, and can be up to 80% less.

Sam's Club Plus members receive additional discounts, including a 30-day supply of over 600 generic drugs for $10 or less.

3. Inexpensive telehealth

Juggling school and work schedules when your kid is sick is no easy task. And sometimes getting to the doctor is the hardest part. Thankfully, Sam's Club offers inexpensive telehealth options for members.

Sam's Club members can access urgent care services for minor injuries and illnesses, telehealth therapy sessions for kids aged 10-17, and adult therapy. Urgent care video calls are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and cost just $45.

Therapy sessions with a licensed therapist for emotional and mental health can happen in as quickly as 72 hours and cost just $79.

4. Discounted events and shows

Taking your family out for a sporting event or to see a play is more expensive than ever. A recent Wall Street Journal survey found that 60% of Americans have reduced spending for live entertainment because it's too costly.

Thankfully, Sam's Club members have access to discounted theater shows and professional sports events, including baseball, hockey, basketball, football, soccer, and more.

Sam's Club says members can save up to 50% on entertainment shows and events tickets, and all tickets are verified and 100% guaranteed.

5. Cheaper vacations

The average cost for a three-day vacation -- including domestic flight, hotel, rental car, and meals -- for a family of four is about $3,600. Many families go on vacation for an entire week, so it's easy to see how this cost can climb even higher.

However, families can likely incur a smaller credit card tab by finding their vacations through Sam's Club. The company offers more than 8,000 travel and entertainment experiences at discounted rates. For example, Sam's Club offers a five-night vacation package to Universal Studios, including hotel and park tickets, 25% cheaper than the retail price.

Now is a great time to grab a membership

Sam's Club is currently offering their basic membership at a 50% discount off the full price until May 1 . This means you'll pay just $25 for an annual membership.

With all the ways for families to save money through Sam's Club on entertainment, vacations, and healthcare -- as well as discounted bulk items and gas -- a half-priced membership is an excellent deal for anyone's budget .

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We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .

Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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Moscow, the entrancing capital of Russia, is a hub of science, culture, and education. Lingering monuments from the USSR era lend a fascinating glimpse into Russia's Soviet history, while remnants of its imperial past hearken back to the days of the tsars. Book yourself on one of many flights to Moscow , take your pick of the Moscow hotels, and prepare to be amazed by this dynamic and alluring city.

Out and About in Moscow

No trip to Moscow would be complete without a stop in the legendary Red Square. Gaze up at the candy-striped spires of St. Basil's Cathedral and stop by to take a picture of Lenin's Mausoleum. Visit the numerous museums and cathedrals within the red walls of the Kremlin, and even peek at the presidential palace. If you're in an artistic mood, the Tretyakov Gallery houses the finest collection of Russian art in the world, and the Bolshoi Theatre is renowned for its superlative ballet and opera. Even traveling between attractions and hotels in Moscow is an experience: The exceptionally beautiful and efficient metro is famous worldwide.

Eating and Drinking

You can find dining options for any budget along the Arbat, one of the most famous streets in the city. There are cuisines for any taste, but if it's traditional Russian food you're seeking, be sure to try some pelmeni (a type of dumpling), borscht (beet soup), or a shashlik (a Russian kebab). Blini, a sort of thin pancake, can be ordered with sweet or savory fillings and is a staple of the local cuisine. As for drinks, it isn't all vodka! Tea is one of the most common beverages, and you should also take the opportunity to try kvas, a fermented drink made from black or rye bread. Ready for your Russian adventure? Travelocity can help you find cheap hotels in Moscow and all the best Moscow vacation packages so you have more time to read up on all the great Russian literature before your trip.

Moscow hotels essential information

Frequently asked questions, types of hotels.

• Convention Center Hotels (355)
• Historic Hotels (314)
• Kid Friendly Hotels (246)
• Spa Resorts & Hotels (139)
• Cheap Hotels (69)
• Hotel Wedding Venues (63)
• Hotels with Hot Tubs (49)
• Boutique Hotels (19)
• Casino Resorts & Hotels (1)

Hotels near…

• Vnukovo Intl. Airport Hotels
• Sheremetyevo Airport Hotels
• Domodedovo Intl. Airport Hotels

An attraction

• Hotels near Moscow Kremlin
• Hotels near Embassy of the United States of America
• Hotels near Sparrow Hills

Areas of Moscow

• Northern Europe Hotels
• Krasnogorsk Hotels
• Eastern Europe Hotels
• Khimki Hotels
• Aleksandrovka Hotels
• Domodedovo Hotels
• Vnukovo Hotels
• Odintsovo Hotels
• Lyubertsy Hotels
• Mytishchi Hotels
• Balashikha Hotels
• Istomikha Hotels
• Dmitrov Hotels
• Kotelniki Hotels
• Yakhroma Hotels
• Dolgoprudny Hotels
• Istra Hotels
• Rybolovskoe Hotels
• Sergiyev Posad Hotels
• Zhukovsky Hotels
• Polivanovo Hotels
• Ershov Hotels
• Privalovo Hotels
• Serpukhov Hotels
• Reutov Hotels
• Putilkovo Hotels
• Barvikha Hotels
• Vidnoye Hotels
• Yubileyny Hotels
• Pirogovo Hotels
• Petrovo-Dalneye Hotels
• Pushkino Hotels
• Kamkino Hotels
• Podolsk Hotels
• Zvenigorod Hotels
• Elektrostal Hotels
• Balabanovo Hotels
• Zhukov Hotels
• Romashkovo Hotels
• Mamyri Hotels
• Moscow City Centre Hotels
• Central Administrative Okrug Hotels
• North-Western Administrative Okrug Hotels
• Moskovskiy Hotels
• Molzhaninovsky District Hotels
• Tverskoy Hotels
• Arbat Hotels
• South-Western Administrative Okrug Hotels
• Northern Administrative Okrug Hotels
• Shelepikha Hotels
• Presnensky Hotels
• Zamoskvorechye District Hotels
• Western Administrative Okrug Hotels
• Southern Administrative Okrug Hotels
• Tyoply Stan District Hotels
• South-Eastern Administrative District Hotels
• Eastern Administrative Okrug Hotels
• Tagansky Hotels
• North-Eastern Administrative Okrug Hotels
• Zelenograd Hotels
• Otradnoye Hotels
• Konkovo District Hotels
• Maryino District Hotels
• Rumyantsevo Hotels
• Yakimanka Hotels
• Krasnoselsky Hotels
• Begovoy Hotels
• Dorogomilovo Hotels
• Nagatinsky Zaton District Hotels
• Brateyevo District Hotels
• Sosenskoe Hotels
• Zhukovka Hotels
• Butovo Hotels
• Usovo Hotels
• Novomoskovsky Administrative Okrug Hotels
• Filimonki Hotels
• Rodniki Hotels
• Rogovskoe Hotels
• Kitay-Gorod Hotels
• Zamoskvorechye Hotels

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