July 15, 2026 – Summer is here! If you haven’t made your vacation plans yet, you might be searching for a deal. While you look for bargains, scammers are looking for ways to reach you…and your money. Here are some things to know to help you avoid travel scams.
Travel scams can crop up when you’re searching online for hotels or flights. Scammers sometimes use paid ads and put their number alongside a well-known company’s name, or link to a website that only looks like it belongs to a hotel brand or airline. To avoid these scammers, scroll to the unpaid search results and check that you have the right website or contact info for the business you’re looking for. Or better yet, type the company’s website directly into the browser, if you know it.
Scammers have driving vacations covered, too, sending texts about fake “unpaid tolls” and demanding immediate payment. If you’re not sure that a text is real, reach out to the state’s toll agency using a phone number or website you know is correct — not the info from the text.
Here are some other ways to avoid travel scams:
- Get all the details of a travel offer before you commit. If the organizer can’t or won’t give you more specific details (other than saying “you’ll stay at a ‘five-star’ resort”), walk away.
- Do some research. Look up the names of travel companies, hotels, rentals, and agents with the words “scam,” “review,” or “complaint.” See what others say about them before you commit.
- Look at how they ask you to pay. Only scammers will tell you that the only way to pay is by wire transfer, gift card, payment app, or cryptocurrency. They prefer these methods because, once they’ve collected the money, it’s almost impossible to get it back.
Learn more at ftc.gov/TravelScams. Spot a scam? Tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
About AAABC (Area Agency on Aging of Broward County)
Sponsored by the Areawide Council on Aging of Broward County and the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, the Area Agency on Aging of Broward County is the nonprofit umbrella organization charged with the responsibilities of planning, coordinating, monitoring, and funding programs designed to meet the needs of over 510,632 year-round Broward older adult residents including an Elder Helpline, Medicare Counseling, Health & Wellness classes and more. As the prime advocate for local Older Americans, the AAABC contracts with administering organizations for the following programs: senior centers; senior day care; site meals; home-delivered meals; Alzheimer’s in-home and facility respite; minor in-home repair; legal; transportation; homemaker personal care; respite; emergency response; and case management. Please visit our website for detailed information on all our services. https://www.adrcbroward.org/
A Public Service Announcement from the Area Agency on Aging of Broward County, the state-designated disability and aging resource center for Broward County funded in part by the State of Florida Department of Elder Affairs.
