Watch out for lodge scams as summer time journey will increase nationwide

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (WBAY) – As the holiday weekend draws to a close, it could mark the start of other planned vacations for Wisconsinites this year.

If you are traveling this year, the Better Business Bureau would like to warn of some hotel fraud cases that are already on the rise this travel season.

The first scam is known as a “fake call to reception”.

“You might get a call in the middle of the night from someone who says they are the front desk and that there is a problem with your credit card processing device or that your credit card number has gone wrong,” said Susan Bach, regional director for the Better Business Bureau in northeast Wisconsin. “It turns out that this is a scam calling you. You really just called the hotel asking for a random room number and then anyone who answers tries to get them to give their credit card information over the phone. “

Bach said you should never give out your credit card information over the phone, instead offer to come over to the front desk to clarify the situation.

“Usually that’s enough to hang up,” said Bach. “You really just randomly pick your room number … and it’s that easy for you. If there is no room at this number, just try elsewhere.

Another scam to look out for is the “free Wi-Fi scam”.

“They (scammers) are known to set up a Wi-Fi hotspot nearby, and they will call it that you will make the consumer believe it is the legitimate hotel website,” said Bach.

Scammers then hope that you check your bank account or your e-mails over their wifi and reveal your passwords to them.

“They (scammers) will intercept this information,” said Bach. “They want to steal our identity.”

Bach always said ask the front desk to sort out the hotel’s Wi-Fi information.

A third scam to watch out for is Fake Airline Representatives.

Bach said with the increased tourist traffic, airlines are still trying to adjust to the traffic, which could lead to canceled or rescheduled flights.

Bach said “be patient” and wait until you speak to a real representative, even if you’ve been on hold for a while. She said the biggest mistake one can make is to randomly “Google” airlines because a fake one could turn up.

“One woman ended up calling someone who she thought was Delta Customer Service who wasn’t and they said we need to charge you a $ 100 rebooking fee, which was all wrong,” said Brook. “So go to the website that you know is true and find a phone number there. Don’t be afraid if there’s a two-hour wait or something like that, but don’t go online and google customer service numbers because you could end up in a scammer’s rabbit hole. “

According to BBB, here are a few other scams to look out for:

Fake website: “When making online hotel reservations, make sure the website is legitimate. Scammers are known to create similar looking websites to trick consumers into providing credit card information. ‘

Fake Food Delivery: “Make sure that the menus in the hotel room are authentic. Eating out can feel like a tempting option, especially after a day of traveling or exploring, but you might end up ordering at a restaurant that doesn’t even exist. Scammers distribute fake menus to rooms with phone numbers connecting the caller to them instead of the hotel or a real business. They collect the caller’s credit card information over the phone and then never deliver any food. Before deciding to place an order, do your research and make sure the store exists and check the BBB rating. Confirm with reception for restaurant recommendations. ‘

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