Summer Scam Alert: How to Protect Yourself from Travel, Vacation Rental, and Text Message Scams

Summer is the season for vacations, road trips, and time spent with family and friends. Unfortunately, it’s also a busy season for scammers. As summer travel ramps up and consumers spend more time online booking travel stays, purchasing transportation tickets, and managing finances on the go, fraudsters look for every opportunity to take advantage of unsuspecting travelers. According to a recent consumer study by Airbnb, over 40% of Americans have fallen victim to an online scam, losing on average $2,000.¹ Staying vigilant when traveling is more important than ever. Before your book your vacation and pack your bags, familiarize yourself with some of the most common summer scams and learn how to protect yourself.

1. Vacation Rental Scams
How the Scam Works
Vacation rental scams are an elaborate ploy by scammers executed by creating fake vacation rental listings or by hijacking legitimate listings to collect deposits and payments for properties that don’t exist or aren’t actually available. Victims often discover the scam after arriving at the destination and accommodations are nowhere to be found.

Common Red Flags

• Prices appear significantly lower than properties of comparable size and amenities.
• Requests for payment outside the standard booking platform, such as through wire transfers, person-to-person digital payment apps, or gift cards.
• Pressure to send money quickly for a deposit or payment to secure the booking.
• Limited photos or vague descriptions of the property.
• Refusal to answer questions or provide additional information about the rental.

How to Protect Yourself

• Book through reputable travel and rental websites.
• Read reviews on the property carefully.
• Verify the property details before booking.
• Never wire money or send payments through untraceable methods like gift cards.
• Be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true.

If you notice a fake rental listing, report it to your local law enforcement agency and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Learn more about vacation rental scams from the Federal Trade Commission.

2. Travel Booking and Ticket Scams
How the Scam Works
Fraudsters create fake websites, advertisements, or social media posts offering discounts on airfare, hotels, rental cars, or event tickets. After payment is made, victims may receive invalid booking confirmations or no reservation confirmation at all.

Common Red Flags

• Steep discounts with limited-time urgency messaging.
• Websites with spelling errors or unusual URLs.
• Requests for payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or peer-to-peer digital payment apps.
• Lack of customer service contact information.

How to Protect Yourself

• Book directly with a trusted travel provider or travel website.
• Research unfamiliar websites thoroughly before purchasing and read reviews from other consumers.
• Review cancellation and refund policies before booking.
• Use secure payment methods and never wire money or use untraceable payments like gift cards.

Learn more about travel booking scams from the Federal Trade Commission. If you think you may have been targeted by a travel booking scam, report it to your local law enforcement agency and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

3. Text Message Scams (Smishing)
How the Scam Works
Text message scams, known as smishing, happen when scammers send text messages pretending to be trusted companies like banks, delivery companies, government agencies, toll collection services, online retailers, and more. The smishing texts often create urgency and include links designed to steal personal or financial information. Some common examples of smishing text messages include:

• “Your account has been locked. Click here to verify.”
• “Package delivery failed. Update your account information immediately.”
• “Unpaid toll balance due immediately. Pay here.”
• “Suspicious activity detected on your account. Review here.”

Common Red Flags

• Unexpected messages requesting personal or financial information.
• Generic greetings.
• Urgent threats or deadlines.
• Suspicious links.
• Requests for passwords or verification codes.

How to Protect Yourself

• Do not click links in unexpected text messages—always go directly to the company’s website. Pay close attention to the URL in the browser window and watch for the padlock symbol that indicates you are using a secure site.
• Verify requests by contacting the organization directly.
• Never share eBanking credentials or one-time verification passcodes.
• Delete and report suspicious messages.

What to Do if You Think You’ve Been Targeted by a Scam
If you believe you’ve been a victim of a scam, the sooner you act the better you may be protected.

• Change any affected passwords immediately.
• Monitor your accounts closely.
• Report suspicious activity to your financial institution.
• Place fraud alerts or freeze your credit when appropriate.
• Report scams to your local law enforcement agency and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Stay vigilant this summer! Scammers often rely on urgency, excitement, and distraction to catch their victims off guard. Whether you are booking a vacation rental, purchasing travel tickets, or receiving an unexpected text message, take a moment to verify the information. This important step can help protect your personal and financial information.

Need Help?
Remember, First Bank will never call, text, or email our clients and ask them to provide and/or update personal account information such as account numbers, PINs, eBanking IDs, usernames, passwords, debit card numbers, and social security numbers. Contact the First Bank Service Center at 800-760-2265 or visit a First Bank branch about any suspicious communications or inquiries you have received. When in doubt, always trust your gut—if it feels like a scam, it probably is one.