Travel scams on the rise following the end of Summer

SALINAS, Calif. (KION)- People are still catching up on vacation time, even as Summer ends and Fall begins, but next time you book a flight pay close attention to travel scams on the internet.

Experts say timeshare, travel, and vacation scams are on the rise. When booking your trip, there are some key things to look out for to prevent that dream vacation from becoming a nightmare.

As businesses reopen many Americans are ready hit the skies, and many are using travel sites to book their trip.
But all that excitement distracting you could lead to be scammed.

"Avoid some of these sideline internet searches. Stick with the main searches and compare. Once you start to compare you'll start to weed out some that are not legitimate."

And sometimes it may be in your best interest to book directly with airline of your choice.

"Airlines for example, a legitimate and licensed travel agent if you want to go that route go directly to the website of the carriers"

And don’t be in such a rush to pack the suitcase, always receive confirmation for your trip.

"Sometimes these guys will promise you over the phone or in texting that you're all confirmed when in facts its a scam and you're not gonna get your deposit back"

Steve McFarland says these fraudulent fiends are often more difficult to track down because they’re out of the country. So if you’re planning to leave the country for some relaxation, do your research.

"Scams like this are horrible and they should be stopped. You have to be aware of anyone asking for those personal identifiable information on the internet or even in person you just want to try and be careful and keep those things close to you and quiet as possible”

So bottom line if it sounds to good to be true it just may be. If you have fallen victim to a scam you can file a claim online with the Better Business Bureau.