Expect summer travel scams, fake bookings
- Federal Trade Commission guidance says summer travelers are still being hit by fake booking sites, hijacked vacation rentals, robocall offers and phishing emails. - The clearest red flags are demands for wire transfers, gift cards or crypto, plus “free” trips with fees and URLs typed for you. - Fraud tied to travel, vacations and timeshares topped 64,000 reports in 2025, as phishing and spoofing stayed a top cybercrime. (aarp.org)
Fake booking sites, hijacked vacation rentals and phishing emails are still stalking summer travelers, according to Federal Trade Commission guidance and recent fraud reporting. (consumer.ftc.gov) (aarp.org) The Federal Trade Commission says scammers pitch “free” vacations, discounted packages and fake travel documents through ads, texts, calls and email. Some copy official government pages or real rental listings, then collect payment before the traveler discovers the booking is worthless. (consumer.ftc.gov) A June 20, 2025 Federal Trade Commission alert warned that scam travel sites often push unusually cheap packages, phishing emails and payment by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency. The agency tells travelers to type a company’s web address directly instead of clicking links in unexpected messages. (consumer.ftc.gov) Vacation-rental fraud has a simple playbook: scammers copy a real listing, repost it as their own and take a deposit. The Federal Trade Commission says some travelers only learn the property was double-booked after they arrive. (consumer.ftc.gov) The scale is not trivial. AARP reported on April 24 that the Federal Trade Commission received more than 64,000 fraud reports tied to travel, vacations and timeshares in 2025. (aarp.org) Broader cybercrime data points the same way. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said on April 23, 2025 that phishing and spoofing were the most frequently reported internet crimes in 2024, part of 859,532 complaints and more than $16 billion in reported losses. (fbi.gov) The scams are also getting harder to spot because criminals can clone logos, layouts and copy from legitimate travel brands. AARP said artificial intelligence tools are helping scammers build more convincing fake sites and near-match web addresses. (aarp.org) Recent reservation-targeted phishing shows how these schemes can move beyond the booking page. Cybernews reported in April 2026 that Booking.com warned some customers their reservation details had been accessed, followed by fake emails, calls and WhatsApp messages tied to those trips. (cybernews.com) The Federal Trade Commission’s advice is mechanical: research the site, search its name with “scam” or “complaint,” avoid off-platform payments and do not trust surprise links. If money has already been sent, the agency says to report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, while the Federal Bureau of Investigation directs phishing victims to ic3.gov. (consumer.ftc.gov) (fbi.gov) For travelers booking summer trips now, the safest confirmation is the one you verify yourself on the airline, hotel or rental platform you typed in yourself. (consumer.ftc.gov)
