Travel Related Telemarketing Scams

The telemarketing scams have become an industry by themselves. There is almost no avenue that has been left untouched by such fraudulent means of practice. Offering a free trip or a long vacation tour to some exotic location is one of the commonest travel scams that people fall for. Calling from an unknown number is considered to be one of the safest ways of conducting a telemarketing scam. A lot them simply try to lure you by stating that you have won a trip and would be able to travel for free. While most individuals jump at the idea of getting the chance to enjoy a beautiful vacation, it is definitely not wise to get entrapped by such clever schemes.

Although a few of these calls may come from genuine sources an increasingly large number of these telemarketers try to tempt you with ‘offers’ that sound too good to be true. The travel related phones are in fact just another way of marketing and you are likely to hear a long drawn out sales pitch for a luxury travel trip. You are sure to regret your naivety once you find out that the ‘free’ trip is much more expensive than an ordinary vacation trip with no frills attached.

Recognizing the Travel Scams:

The telemarketing scams almost always include the request for the credit card number. The apparently plausible request given out is that it will be required for booking the travel package. The initial payment will only result in the arrival of yet another package with a request for an additional fee. A number of up gradation options are also offered as part of your ‘free’ travel package. A monetary charge being added at practically every step is a typical characteristic of the travel related telemarketing scams.

Such schemes are usually cooked up by seasoned salesmen with years of experience behind them. You will find that the sales talk often includes false information luring you into parting with your money. An oft repeated plan of action is to use pressure tactics by mentioning a specific deadline for the offer. A special way of persuading the public is to offer low priced club memberships or vacation packages at nominal costs instead of gratis. The documents endorsing your acceptance of offer contain ambiguous terms along with additional costs to be incurred for the facilities offered. 

Precautions:

Unwanted travel packages can cost you money. It is best to stay clear of such phone calls especially when they inform that you have won an exotic vacation deal.

Another way of protecting yourself is to request everything in writing. You get to read the fine print before committing yourself.

It is not prudent to disclose your credit number over the phone or even in person. The swindler can run up huge bills on your card before you realize the gravity of the situation.

Registering your Complaint:

You can get in touch with the office of the Attorney General of your state and file a formal complaint with the consumer protection section there if you find yourself cheated by travel tele-scams.
Logging in to the official website of the FTC at www.ftc.gov will enable you to register your complaint into the Consumer Sentinel which is a secure database accessed by the law enforcement agencies across the United States of America as well as abroad.