Travel scams to watch out for during the Holy Week break

The Philippine National Police - Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) and Scam Watch Pilipinas on Holy Wednesday warned the public against travel-related scams ahead of the long holiday weekend for this Holy Week.

These travel-related scams include the following:

• Fake accommodations advertised at impossibly low rates
• Fake Wi-Fi hotspots designed to steal personal data
• Too-good-to-be-true deals on flights and hotels that vanish after payment
• 'Free' vacation traps with hidden costs
• Fake travel agents who disappear with payments 
• Overpriced 'exclusive' tours. 
• Charity cons
• Counterfeit cash
• Hidden CCTV cameras
• Fake taxis charging exorbitant fees
• False sale of lost luggage on Facebook
• Fake SIM cards, and 
• Cheap airline tickets on social media 
• Fixers promising convenience at transport hubs

ACG chief Brigadier General Bernard Yang said that recognizing online travel scams helps the public develop online safety skills to determine fraudulent content on social media.

"To combat deceptive online scams, educating Filipinos about travel scams is a practical step towards building online safety awareness and the ability to detect manipulation," Yang said.

Meanwhile, Scam Watch Pilipinas co-founder Jocel de Guzman reminded the public to stay vigilant against the 14 most common travel scams.

“We’re once again reminding the public to stay vigilant against the 14 most common travel scams identified in the campaign—from fake accommodations to bogus travel deals. Vigilance is crucial in the fight against scammers,” De Guzman said.

Those who would like to report  travel scams may reach the national anti-scam hotline 1326 or the PNP-ACG hotline17 or (02) 8722-0650. —VAL, GMA Integrated News