DEFENDERS: Avoid these red flags when booking vacations

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

With Memorial Day weekend and summer around the corner, you might be looking to book your next vacation. As rental vacation sites gain more popularity it is also populated with scammers.

Before you start booking your next vacation, the Better Business Bureau says to watch out for several red flags.

"Since it's probably been a while since many people have made travel plans it's important to remember to stay vigilant," Michelle Gleba, with the BBB, said. "You're going to want to watch out for phone calls or letters claiming that you won a trip, or website that offers packages that are basically too good to be true. We encourage folks to plan ahead."

Scammers will sometimes post listings that aren't for rent, don't exist, or are significantly different from what is pictured. Sometimes the con artists will promise low fees and great amenities that aren't true.

Some other scams that you need to look out for are free vacation scams, hotel, third-party booking sites and timeshare reselling scams.

Gleba also said if you are considering travel insurance, make sure you ask a lot of questions because different plans mean different coverage and read the fine print.

From January 2020 to May 2021 there were eight travel-related scams reported in Missouri, according to the BBB scam tracker.