THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, SEpTEMbER 19, 2025 Page 21 BBB Scam Alert: How to avoid scams when booking a hotel online I f you are planning an upcoming trip, keep an eye out for hotel booking scams. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) Scam Tracker continues to receive reports of travelers falling victim to lookalike websites. Always confirm you are on the right website before making hotel reservations. Learn the following: • How scammers use fake hotel websites and ads to trick travelers • Key red flags to watch for before entering payment details • The safest ways to confirm and book your hotel reservations How the scam works: You search for hotels in the city you plan to visit. Among the top search results is what appears to be an official hotel website or a legitimate travel booking agency. When you click the link, you find a website with professional photos from the hotel and reasonable pricing. Everything looks normal, so you decide to book a room. You enter your credit card information and check out. However, when you review your credit card statement, you notice you’ve been charged a much higher rate than you agreed to. It turns out that you weren’t on the official hotel website. When you contact the company to cancel your reservation, you might not be able to get through to anyone. And even if you do, they’ll likely tell you you’ve made a nonrefundable reservation. The best they can do is cancel your reservation and charge you for it anyway. How to avoid hotel booking scams • Only book hotels through official websites. The best way to avoid this kind of scam is to check and double-check you are on an official hotel website before you enter your credit card information. Scammers are pros at building fake lookalike websites to fool you into giving up your information. Look closely at the URL to ensure you are on the hotel’s official website or a booking agency you know and trust. • Only make reservations through secure websites. You’ll also want to ensure websites and their payment pages are secure, meaning they start with https:// and display a padlock symbol. If a web page isn’t secure, don’t enter your personal information and close the tab. • Contact the hotel directly. If you’re unsure about a booking site or deal, call the hotel directly to confirm that the offer is real and that your reservation is in their system. • Look for red flags in communication. Be wary of unusual payment requests, such as wire transfers, prepaid cards or payment through untraceable methods. Also, be on the lookout for typos and grammatical or spelling errors. Legitimate hotels typically do not have these errors. • Watch out for misleading ads. Look at search results carefully. Just because a website is the first result on the page doesn’t mean it’s legitimate. Watch out for high-ranking ads that scammers could FURNISHED ROOM FOR RENT EVERETT sponsor. • Research businesses you aren’t familiar with. If you find a booking site that looks professional but you haven’t heard of it before, proceed with caution. Search for reviews on third-party websites and keep a close eye out for reports of scams. Never share your personal information with a person or business until you know they are trustworthy. • Check the cancellation policy. Review the hotel’s cancellation policy carefully. Scammers might not provide clear information on this, making it difficult to get a refund. • Search BBB.org. It’s always best practice to search hotels near you on BBB.org to check reviews, ratings and BBB Accreditation. When booking a hotel online, look for the BBB Seal; it’s The Sign of a Better Business. If you spot a hotel scam, report it at BBB.org/ScamTracker. Your report helps to boost consumer awareness and stop scammers in their tracks. 1 bedroom, 1 bath furnished room for rent. $275. per week rent. Two week deposit plus 1 week rent required. Call: 617-435-9047 - NO TEXT Steps Stoops Rebuilt or Repaired Chimney Rebuilt or Repaired House Foundation Leaks Repaired All Basement Repairs Chimney Inspection Roofing & Siding Masonry Repairs Window Installation & Repairs Drywall & Carpentry Waterproofing Like us on Facebook advocate newspaper Facebook.com/Advocate.news.ma
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