Yahoo Tech warns Memorial Day scams

Yahoo Tech reported on May 16 that scammers are using Memorial Day shopping and travel demand to push fake vacation deals, phishing messages and bogus payment requests ahead of the holiday weekend. The report cited Jan Diaz, president and chief executive of the Better Business Bureau serving Northern Indiana, who warned in a guest column that seasonal rushes create openings for fraudsters. Federal agencies have issued similar warnings about travel and holiday shopping scams, including fake booking sites, non-delivery schemes and phishing attempts. The advice across those warnings is consistent: verify offers directly, avoid suspicious links and use payment methods that can be disputed. ### Which scams are showing up around Memorial Day bookings and sales? Yahoo Tech said the main risks this week include fake travel deals, products advertised at implausibly steep discounts, phishing emails or texts and phony payment sites. Diaz said those scams are designed to catch consumers when they are trying to book summer trips or buy holiday-sale items quickly. (tech.yahoo.com) The Federal Trade Commission has separately warned that travel scams often begin with online ads, emails, calls or texts promising free or low-cost trips. The agency said some schemes add hidden fees after payment, while others turn out to be entirely fake. ### Why are travel bookings a frequent target? The FTC said vacation scammers often hijack real rental listings and repost them as their own, leaving travelers to discover on arrival that the property was never legitimately booked. (tech.yahoo.com) The agency also warned about copycat sites that claim to help with travel documents or permits and charge for services that may be free or available only through authorized issuers. (consumer.ftc.gov) The FBI said holiday-related online fraud also includes non-delivery scams, auction fraud and gift-card fraud. In its holiday scam guidance, the bureau said Internet Crime Complaint Center data for 2025 showed non-payment and non-delivery scams cost people more than $503 million, while credit card fraud accounted for another $282 million in losses. (consumer.ftc.gov) ### What are the clearest warning signs before paying? Diaz said shoppers should stop when an offer does not feel right and take time to verify it. Yahoo Tech said requests to move a booking conversation off a trusted platform or to pay outside the platform’s system are major red flags. The FBI said consumers should be wary of prices that seem too good to be true, unsolicited links and any request to update account information through an email or social-media message. (fbi.gov) The bureau said buyers should check the site’s URL, confirm that it uses HTTPS and research unfamiliar sellers before sending money. ### Which payment methods do scammers prefer? (tech.yahoo.com) Yahoo Tech said Diaz warned against paying with gift cards, wire transfers or certain payment apps because those methods can be harder to trace or reverse. He recommended using a credit card when possible because it gives consumers a clearer path to dispute suspicious charges. The FBI’s guidance aligns with that advice. (fbi.gov) The bureau said victims who believe they were defrauded should contact their bank or credit card company promptly to dispute charges and limit losses. ### What should shoppers do before clicking or booking? The FTC said consumers should look up travel companies, hotels, rentals or agents with terms such as “scam,” “review” or “complaint” before committing. (tech.yahoo.com) The agency also said travelers should confirm that a property address exists and, for resort properties, call the front desk directly to verify details in the contract. (fbi.gov) Yahoo Tech said the same basic checks apply to holiday retail purchases: confirm contact information, review the seller’s history and avoid links sent through unsolicited emails, texts or social posts. Diaz said careful planning can help consumers avoid stolen card numbers, drained accounts and fake reservations during the Memorial Day rush. (consumer.ftc.gov) ### Where can consumers report a Memorial Day scam? The FBI said suspected holiday scams can be reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov. The FTC also directs consumers to its fraud-reporting channels and publishes consumer guidance on travel scams and holiday-related schemes on its website. Memorial Day falls on May 25 this year, leaving travelers and shoppers roughly a week to review bookings, check sellers and monitor payment requests before the long weekend. (tech.yahoo.com) Yahoo Tech’s warning was published on May 16, and the FTC and FBI guidance remains available for consumers checking travel offers and online sales before the holiday. (fbi.gov)