S.C. Consumer Affairs Officials: Hotel Room Scammers Have Checked In

The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA) is warning consumers about common hotel scams targeting guests.

Scammers contact hotel guests in their rooms, often at late hours, attempting to “verify” the guest’s credit card information. Believing the caller is a hotel employee, the guests relay the requested personal information.

With summer vacations already in full swing, consumers are urged to be wary of these calls. Follow these tips below to avoid becoming a victim:

·        Hang up!– Never give (or verify) personal information to a cold caller.

·        Contact the front desk– Call or walk down to the front desk directly to inquire about the call. Consumers should report the call to the front desk, even if they were not victimized.

·        Remember – Hotel employees rarely call guests after 9 p.m. A call in the middle of the night should trigger suspicion.

·        Report it – Report scams to SCDCA at 800-922-1594.

Consumers should also be on the lookout for fraudulent vacation rental listings. Specific tips on this type of vacation scam can be found in SCDCA’s Spotlight on Fraudulent Vacation Rental Listings,http://www.consumer.sc.gov/Documents/SpotLight/RentalListingSpoofs.pdf

For more information on avoiding similar scams, see SCDCA’s Spotlight on Telephone Scams, http://www.consumer.sc.gov/Documents/SpotLight/Telephone_Scams.pdf.