Booking Scams

According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, American travelers make approximately 15 million fake hotel bookings on rogue sites every year. And travelers lose $1.3 billion dollars every year on booking scams as rogue sites pose as real hotels, they take your credit card number, and possibly leave you without a reservation.

 Several members of Congress introduced the Stop Online Booking Scams Act on Feb. 9. If passed, the bill would require third-party sites to clearly state that they are not affiliated with the hotel the customer is attempting to book. The bill would also give states more power in pursuing scammers in federal court but for right now, the best thing travelers can do to protect themselves is to be alert when booking a hotel online. Probably the best tip if you don’t book directly with the hotel, be sure to use one of the more well-known sites -- like Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline -- and approved by the Better Business Bureau (BBB).