The Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) reminded traveling Filipinos on Wednesday to be alert on so-called vacation scams, where fraudsters pretend to offer cheap staycations at legitimate establishments, especially during the Holy Week break.
“Staycations are popular and are being promoted on social media and online apps, so some people would want to avail of the deals not knowing they are being scammed,” said PNP-ACG Cyber Response Unit chief Colonel Jay Guillermo in a televised interview.
Victims are being offered to purchase accommodations at the cheapest price and are often asked to send money to the alleged sales agents to reserve their slots.
Guillermo also said that travel agents pressuring people to send money at once to secure the last available room are “the biggest red flag” for these scams.
“[They] will tell you to send the downpayment at once or [you] will lose the room. That’s their style,” he said.
The PNP official said people who received suspicious staycation offers should try to verify the number of the supposed agent against the listed numbers of the place they will rent.
“If they insist on collecting the downpayment. It should be an option to just pay at check-in, when you are already at the house or room or condominium unit. That should be the only time that you’ll pay because there really are scammers,” Guillermo added.
The PNP-ACG advised travelers to conduct thorough research, transact only with trusted agencies and websites for bookings.
