Florida Vacation Scams: State Reports Uptick

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Tampa Bay area residents who receive offers related to promotional vacation packages in the Sunshine State are warned to be very wary.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services issued a consumer alert Wednesday related to scam offers that are meant to part victims from their personal information. The alert comes on the heels of travel industry reports of a sharp uptick in the number of complaints related to fraudulent Florida vacation package offers. The state warns residents to be suspicious of any unsolicited robocalls, emails or faxes that offer promotional packages.

“Consumers should always be cautious when receiving unsolicited phone calls or emails saying that they’ve won a ‘special promotion’ or ‘free luxury vacation,’ ” Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam said in a statement. “An educated consumer is the best defense against fraud and deception, and I encourage consumers to accesses our tips and resources at FreshFromFlorida.com.”

Putnam’s office says residents can protect themselves against fraud by exercising the following advice:

• Find out if a seller of travel is registered with the department and check to see if any complaints have been filed
• Refrain from giving out credit card or checking account information over the phone unless the consumer actually initiated the call or is positive of company credentials
• Pay close attention to any contracts offered, ask questions and do no sign if there is any doubt
• If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is
• If an offer is purportedly coming from a legitimate company, such as Expedia.com or Travelocity.com, go directly to that company’s website and contact customer service to verify the legitimacy of the offer

Consumers who believe they have been targeted by scammers can contact the department’s consumer protection and information hotline at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or, for Spanish speakers, 1-800-FL-AYUDA (352-9832). To find out more, visit the department at FreshFromFlorida.com.

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