Coastal vacation scammers take people’s money with promises of trips that never materialize. Many of these pitches lean on phrases like “cheap Hawaiian vacation” to lure travelers in.
A lot of people dream about a seaside getaway. Maybe it’s an inexpensive Hawaiian vacation package, or maybe it’s just a quiet weekend at a beach resort.
Plenty of coastal vacation scams disguise themselves as legitimate deals, and police have reported an uptick in these schemes in recent years.
The internet gave rise to a new breed of coastal vacation scammer looking to cheat honest customers out of their money. Type “cheap Hawaiian vacation package” into a search engine and you will turn up well over a million results, and not all of them are trustworthy.
The Federal Trade Commission reported 3,600 consumers scammed in 2002, totaling $3.5 million. So how can travelers tell a coastal vacation scam apart from a genuine low-cost getaway deal?
1. Many people running coastal vacation scams will ask for a credit card or other financial details early in the conversation. Plenty of these so-called vacation companies want customers to hand over financial information online in exchange for a “cheap Hawaiian getaway.”
A company pushing for financial information before a customer feels comfortable providing it should be treated as a red flag and a possible coastal vacation scam.
Many cases of identity theft have started with a coastal vacation scam. Customers check their bank or credit card statements and discover cash advances and high-dollar purchases alongside the charge for their “cheap Hawaiian vacation.”
Anyone who falls victim to identity theft this way should contact local police right away about the coastal vacation scam.
2. Companies running coastal vacation scams tend to give customers very little detail about the trip itself. Whether it’s on the phone or online, the person on the other end will offer vague, repeated assurances that the hotel in the cheap Hawaiian vacation package has ocean views, luxury rooms, and private balconies, without ever getting specific.
The “seller” behind a coastal vacation scam may claim to have stayed there several times but can never produce specifics when pressed.
Some of these companies will even ask the customer not to contact the hotel or resort directly about the booking, which is another sign of a coastal vacation scam.
If a customer cannot verify the reservation directly with the hotel, it is time to look elsewhere for a cheap Hawaiian vacation. Travelers should confirm the details and book their own coastal trip rather than falling for a coastal vacation scam.
3. Coastal vacation scammers lean on words like “free” or “vacation deal.” Often these so-called deals require sitting through a daylong sales presentation before families can use their free tickets, a common coastal vacation scam tactic.
If travelers cannot see the islands on their cheap Hawaiian vacation without enduring a drawn-out sales pitch first, the trip is not nearly as “cheap” as it sounds.
4. The Better Business Bureau and other government agencies maintain lists of known coastal vacation scams. Savvy travelers check these lists and report any contact from coastal vacation scammers.
One of the more common ploys advertises a cheap Hawaiian vacation or an inexpensive family vacation package.
Fear of a coastal vacation scam should not stop travelers from seeking out genuinely good vacation deals, including a legitimately cheap Hawaiian trip.
Plenty of companies offer real family vacation packages and honest travel rewards programs that save families real money on their trip costs. Coastal vacation scams should not scare travelers away from booking altogether; they should just make travelers more careful about who they book with.
The pattern is consistent across all four warning signs above: pressure for payment details up front, vague answers about the property, “free” offers tied to a sales pitch, and a name that turns up on a watchdog list. Spotting even one of these should be enough reason to slow down, verify independently, and book with a company that welcomes questions instead of deflecting them. Our guide to preparing for your holiday travels covers the broader groundwork worth doing before any trip, scam risk or not.
Related to this, see How To Find Cheap Airfare Within Europe.