Dubai: Planning a last-minute Eid getaway? Before you click on an offer that looks too good to be true, make sure the site is legitimate.
Dubai Police has warned residents to stay alert against a rise in fake travel offers and fraudulent holiday bookings online.
As part of its ‘Be Aware of Fraud' campaign, Dubai Police said on May 19 that scammers are increasingly targeting families and travellers during the holiday and summer vacation season, exploiting demand for discounted flights, hotel stays and international travel packages.
According to Dubai Police, fraudsters create fake websites and social media accounts offering travel deals at prices far below market rates to pressure victims into making quick payments before discovering the scam.
Here’s how such scams work and the warning signs you should be on the watch out for.
How do fake travel booking scams work?
According to Dubai Police, fake travel websites often rely on social media to promote heavily discounted travel packages, impersonate licensed travel agencies or well-known tourism companies. You may also see professional-looking logos, branding and images that appear to be genuine.
Another way in which such scams can reach you is when scammers send messages through various messaging apps or by directly calling people.
The police warned people to not feel pressure to hurry and pay because the promotion claims that there are “only a few seats left” or that “the offer expires within hours”.
6 warning signs to watch out for
Here are some of the red flags you should watch out for when making a travel booking:Prices are significantly cheaper than normal market rates.
1. Prices are significantly cheaper than normal market rates.
2. Urgent pressure to make immediate payments.
3. Requests to transfer money to personal accounts.
4. Payment links from unknown or suspicious sources.
5. Websites with spelling mistakes or unusual domain names.
6. Social media pages with limited history or suspicious reviews.
5 ways to protect yourself from travel scams
Dubai Police advised residents to:
1. Deal only with accredited and licensed tourism companies. If you are unsure whether the offer is real or fake, reach out to the company directly to verify, before proceeding.
2. Book through trusted and official travel platforms.
3. Carefully verify website links before entering personal or banking information. You can always cross-check the url and domain name with the official company website, or call the establishment to verify.
4. Avoid sharing bank card details, passwords, one-time passwords (OTPs) or security codes.
5. Never transfer money to unknown or personal bank accounts.
What should you do if you feel you got scammed?
If you do fall prey to such scams, you should immediately report it to the police authorities.
In Dubai, you can register a complaint through the e-crime platform – https://www.dubaipolice.gov.ae/app/services/ecrime - or by calling the Dubai Police non-emergency number 901.
In Abu Dhabi, you can report it online through the Aman service - https://aman.adpolice.gov.ae/ - or by calling 800 2626 or sending an SMS to 2828.
From anywhere in the UAE, you can also register the complaint on the ‘My Safe Society’ app, launched by the UAE’s Federal Public prosecution, which is available for Apple and Android devices.