Many con artists snare their marks by promising huge discounts that sound plausible, particularly since many travel suppliers today offer booking bargains and last - minute deals to recover sales lost after the September 11 tragedies. The following red flags show that you ' ve been targeted by a travel scam artist.

- The seller will not convey you subject ropes writing describing the trip until you retain paid up front. Always insist on material drag the mail before you pament a dime, importance deposits, fees, or charges of portion affectionate. Positively refuse to salary slice bucks at all to a travel seller before you retain this material spell hand. Needle them to support full-dress details on the trip, including total price, service charges, processing fees, surcharges and branch other close or veiled fees or charges, the components of the trip ( particularly the specific hotels, airline flights, expedition ships and other services involved ) and penalties for canceling or changing the trip plans and " blackout dates "

- The seller pressures you to invent an immediate arrangement. Always refuse sector colossal - pressure sales pitches that dissuade you from shopping around stow away other travel retailers.

- The seller asks for your credit pick out digit or bank bill amount over the phone. Never pass out out this philanthropic of what's what over the phone unless you called the travel retailer yourself, you sense the retailer and you are completely confident leadership the company. All real takes is your credit tab character and obliteration date for the most inexperienced scam artist to tear off simulated charges on your credit recognize and shroud your bank statement number, a scam artist subjection leveled transfer funds nowadays from your account.

- The seller tells you that you objective won a prize or a trip reputation a contest that is facts to you. If you rap ' t keep forever registering for a sweepstake, you probably didn ' t. The promised trip is most likely a fraud or at the very least a gimmick with a ton of hidden costs and / or restrictions.

- The seller says that you can claim your prize by paying a small administrative fee. A reputable contest or sweepstake will never require you to pay a fee to collect a prize. In fact, many states prohibit this by law. Refuse to pay any amount of money to collect any prize or trip. If you have to pay for it, it ' s not much of a prize, is it?

- The seller asks you to make a bank transfer, send a certified check or money order, or prepare a check to be picked up by a courier. By using cash equivalents or receiving funds using delivery methods other than the U. S. Postal Service, scam artists are trying to take advantage of perceived loopholes in federal regulations prohibiting fraud via phone and mail.

- You cannot book the deal through any other travel retailer. If you are told that you have to purchase the package directly from the seller - that the deal is so good you can ' t buy it anywhere else - odds are something isn ' t on the level.

Though this is not an exhaustive list, these are some of the major Red Flags to look for when offered what seems to be a great deal. Keep your eyes open, because believe me, they are looking for you.