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Summer is right around the corner. With things reopening, kids getting out of school, and days lasting longer, this summer promises, we hope, some much-needed relaxation, adventure, and a chance to reconnect with family and friends.

Today, we’re kicking off our summer safety series to share some thoughts on ways to make your summer season as enjoyable and safe as possible. Unfortunately, scammers love summer, too, and they’re not taking any time off. So we want you to pack your sunscreen, but leave the SPFs (scams, phonies, and frauds) behind.

Throughout the week, we’ll share ideas for taking scam-free vacations by learning to avoid the latest travel and rental car scams, timeshare and customer review scams, and family emergency scams. And if you’ve spotted a scam this summer, we hope you’ll share it with your family and friends so they can protect themselves, too. We know that people who know about scams are more likely to be able to avoid them.

As you think about what your summer holds, here are some things to keep in mind.

  • Never pay for “prize” vacations. No legitimate company will ask you to pay for a prize.
  • Use a credit card, if possible, for your travel spending. This gives you more protection than paying by cash or debit card — and it may be easier to dispute unauthorized charges.
  • Subscribe to Consumer Alerts to keep up to date on the latest scams. Then pass them on.

 

Sharing what you know will help protect someone you care about from a scam — so they can have a scam-free summer, too! Report any scams you’ve seen at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

  • We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
  • We won’t post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups.
  • We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.

AHGFL007
June 14, 2021
When you do not have a credit card, and that Debit Card is all that is available, make sure that you do not put your access pin onto the card. Most scammers run a single $1.00 through the card to see if it will fly and then go for it. My bank watches for just this stunt then slams the door in their faces, making the card invalid. They also notify me of the attempted breach and say to go into the nearest branch to get a new card. This kind of watching over our Debit Cards has been a boon to them and for us since we aren't out any money.
longhair
June 14, 2021
I'm very thankful I signed up to Consumer.ftc.gov. It has made me a smarter consumer.
New-Hampshire-…
June 14, 2021
I get about ten scam/fraud phone calls every day -- I thought the government had passed a "verified sender" law. -- Guess not since the miserable scammers keep trying to sell phoney medicare stuff and most anything else you can imagine.
joan
June 14, 2021
i just want to thank you all for all your great info!! it really does help!
Jack Dully
June 14, 2021
Thank You for your "Heads Up" emails on scammers,people have to be vigilant on their own,as scammers keep changing their tactics to get your money and confidential banking or credit card information.This is how they survive,just keep one step ahead of them and keep what's yours "YOURS"
Buffalo17
June 14, 2021
On May 18,2021 an Email from Wells Fargo was sent to me saying my card was declined at a Timewise #--- in Texas. It said the amount was $91.00 I put gas in my car earlier in the day for $21 and I have a receipt. I did not know if the letter from Wells Fargo was fake as as the $91.00/ They stated an incorrect pin was used.
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