Avoid travel scams
- scarver5
- Apr 2
- 3 min read
Take precautions before and during your vacation to avoid getting ripped off.
As a travel agent, I'm always amazed that people will trust their hard-earned money and time with a random travel website on the internet. Anyone can create a website filled with pretty pictures and too-good-to-be-true offers, take your money (and your personal information) and then shut down the page.
Online booking scams
There are numerous imitation websites that pretend to be legitimate hotels, airlines, cruise lines and tour companies. When you’re planning and booking your trip, you have to be very careful to make sure you are on the legitimate website as they use similar names to fool you.
For example: before you travel out of the U.S., you need to find out if the country you’re visiting has any requirements such as entry fees, exit fees and Visas. If you simply Google “Mexican Departure Tax” you may end up at a very official looking scam site that will charge you about $50 each instead of the legitimate site that charges $14.
You will need a current passport book (not card) to fly to destinations outside of the U.S. Some countries require that your passport is valid for six months after your return trip. You can get reliable information on the official site travel.state.gov. From there you can find information on travel requirements for each country.
Baggage & personal belongings
As you prepare to travel, there are things you can do to protect yourself. Don’t ever pack valuables in your checked luggage. It is not unusual for people to have their bags rummaged through and items stolen. You can put AirTags in your checked bags and your carry-on bags to help you track them if they are lost. Make sure your name and cell number are on your luggage tags and inside your bag. Don’t put your address where it is visible on your luggage tags, as thieves can go to your home to rob you while you are out of town. For the same reason, you should also avoid posting on public social media that you are away from home.
While on the ground
When you arrive at your destination, watch out for people pretending to be “official” taxi services and transportation companies. Make sure you know exactly who you are meeting or what true official services look like and don’t be fooled by overly friendly people offering to take you somewhere.
It is recommended that you don’t travel with expensive jewelry or items that could make you a target for thieves. Always be aware of your surroundings. Anywhere there are tourists, there will be people who want to take advantage of you. Don’t keep wallets in back pockets or leave valuables unattended or easily accessible.
Don’t use free-standing ATM machines as many are not secure. Go into a bank or shopping mall to use an ATM. Don’t use free Wi-Fi in random areas as it can be used to access information in your phone or computer. Bring your own charging bank to use for your phone to avoid plugging into chargers in airports and public places.
In most tourist destinations there are very aggressive salespeople who will offer you the world to get you to attend a “presentation,” “free breakfast” or “tour.” Avoid these people! At a minimum you will waste hours of precious vacation time, and you may end up stranded somewhere if you tell them you won’t buy their deal. Or worse yet, you may be talked into signing a contract for a very expensive “vacation club.” You do not want to sign a contract in a foreign country without having an attorney advise you and they will never allow that.
Using a trusted travel agent for your trip can alleviate your worries. I want you to have an amazing, stress-free vacation!
Real ID Goes into Effect
On May 7, 2025, REAL ID requirements go into effect for air travel within the USA. Everyone age 18 or older will be required to show either a REAL ID or a current passport. In Oregon the REAL ID driver license has a star in the right corner. Investing in a current passport allows you to travel on a whim!
Stay updated with official information:
U.S. State Department
Passports
Oregon Real ID
Airlines serving the Eugene Airport
Alaska Airlines: AlaskaAir.com
Allegiant: Allegiantair.com
American Airlines: AA.com
Avelo Airlines: Aveloair.com
Delta: Delta.com
Southwest: Southwest.com
United Airlines: United.com
Meet Vacation MOM
Vacation MOM is brought to you in partnership with Eugene Airport
Donnita Bassinger is a mom to three sons, and she lives in Eugene with her husband. She has been a travel agent for four decades and is the owner of VIP Vacations, Inc. She would love to help you plan a great vacation.
Contact Donnita at 541-913-5272 or on facebook @VacationMOM
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