Summer is peak travel season and unfortunately, there are those that seek to use this season to take advantage of others in the form of travel scams. For the unsuspecting victim, these scams can take hefty financial tolls and ruin vacation plans. Knowing what to look for is key in avoiding falling prey to a travel scam. Below are three of the most common summer travel scams.

Free Vacation Offers

When you hear something that is too-good-to-be-true, it likely is. Having said that, common signs associated with free vacation scams are:

• Offers of stunning destinations with no specific hotel, resort or airline mentions.
• Also, if the vacation deal doesn’t provide specific dates or any fees attached to the offer, this is another clear indication it’s a scam.

Third-Party “Discount Travel” Scams

There are questionable companies that can appear quite legitimate, offering ‘instant’ travel discounts created to encourage consumer into impulse buying decisions. In these scenarios, the scammer takes your money and fails to provide on the promised services or offering.

Deceptive Currency Exchange Scams

If you plan on travelling to a different country, this is a travel scam to be aware of. Deceptive currency exchange businesses will prey on travellers who aren’t familiar with the exchange rate or don’t have a good sense of reasonable exchange fees. These businesses can charge very high fees and give the wrong amount on currency exchanges–always in their favour.

The above scams can make travelling sound rather risky; however, with the proper preparation and research, you have nothing to fear! So, here are some simple tips to use to prevent being the victim of a travel scam:

• Know the institution handling your money;
• Only book through established companies with legitimate security measures;
• Do research on your travel destination (if you’re going to another country, ensure you know the exchange rate).