Vicky Nguyen

They told family. And over the course of a year or so, people were booking vacations that were extremely discounted, and they were paying via Zelle to this travel agent.

They told family. And over the course of a year or so, people were booking vacations that were extremely discounted, and they were paying via Zelle to this travel agent.

And now this woman has up and left and those vacations were never booked. Now, this is something I am in the process of investigating. I had never heard of a scam like this before, but I have talked to multiple victims who say they're kind of left holding the bag because what the banks will say is you willingly transferred this money to someone.

And now this woman has up and left and those vacations were never booked. Now, this is something I am in the process of investigating. I had never heard of a scam like this before, but I have talked to multiple victims who say they're kind of left holding the bag because what the banks will say is you willingly transferred this money to someone.

And now this woman has up and left and those vacations were never booked. Now, this is something I am in the process of investigating. I had never heard of a scam like this before, but I have talked to multiple victims who say they're kind of left holding the bag because what the banks will say is you willingly transferred this money to someone.

So my first piece of advice is if the price is too good to be true, be very, very careful. It's not just price. It's also how are they asking you to pay? Are they asking you to pay with a gift card, with Venmo or Zelle or Cash App, some kind of peer-to-peer payment system that may not have the kinds of protections as a credit card? I would be very, very wary.

So my first piece of advice is if the price is too good to be true, be very, very careful. It's not just price. It's also how are they asking you to pay? Are they asking you to pay with a gift card, with Venmo or Zelle or Cash App, some kind of peer-to-peer payment system that may not have the kinds of protections as a credit card? I would be very, very wary.

So my first piece of advice is if the price is too good to be true, be very, very careful. It's not just price. It's also how are they asking you to pay? Are they asking you to pay with a gift card, with Venmo or Zelle or Cash App, some kind of peer-to-peer payment system that may not have the kinds of protections as a credit card? I would be very, very wary.

Yes. Keep in mind that five-star experience, luxury, these are just marketing words that companies can add to their websites, and they can look for beautiful stock photos of any destination. So in order to verify if this is real, do your homework. That means entering the name of the company, the name of the hotel property, and the word review. That's how you will find what people are saying.

Yes. Keep in mind that five-star experience, luxury, these are just marketing words that companies can add to their websites, and they can look for beautiful stock photos of any destination. So in order to verify if this is real, do your homework. That means entering the name of the company, the name of the hotel property, and the word review. That's how you will find what people are saying.

Yes. Keep in mind that five-star experience, luxury, these are just marketing words that companies can add to their websites, and they can look for beautiful stock photos of any destination. So in order to verify if this is real, do your homework. That means entering the name of the company, the name of the hotel property, and the word review. That's how you will find what people are saying.

Yes, this is legit or no, this is not. And I would also recommend booking travel through reputable sources using a travel agent. Usually they only charge a very small fee and they have actual boots on the ground knowledge of the destinations that you're curious about.

Yes, this is legit or no, this is not. And I would also recommend booking travel through reputable sources using a travel agent. Usually they only charge a very small fee and they have actual boots on the ground knowledge of the destinations that you're curious about.

Yes, this is legit or no, this is not. And I would also recommend booking travel through reputable sources using a travel agent. Usually they only charge a very small fee and they have actual boots on the ground knowledge of the destinations that you're curious about.

Make sure you know what the cancellation policies are. And if there is a 24-hour cancellation period, I like to set a reminder in my phone. That reminder lets you know, cancel before this time, before you get charged. it's also really important to call, asking some questions to confirm the property.

Make sure you know what the cancellation policies are. And if there is a 24-hour cancellation period, I like to set a reminder in my phone. That reminder lets you know, cancel before this time, before you get charged. it's also really important to call, asking some questions to confirm the property.

Make sure you know what the cancellation policies are. And if there is a 24-hour cancellation period, I like to set a reminder in my phone. That reminder lets you know, cancel before this time, before you get charged. it's also really important to call, asking some questions to confirm the property.

I think especially when you're using a peer-to-peer site like Airbnb or Vrbo, this happened to us one time. We thought we were getting a great deal on a hotel room, but as we were getting closer, we weren't getting the details sent to us. So we made a couple of extra calls and it turns out that wasn't really a listing. That place didn't actually exist.

I think especially when you're using a peer-to-peer site like Airbnb or Vrbo, this happened to us one time. We thought we were getting a great deal on a hotel room, but as we were getting closer, we weren't getting the details sent to us. So we made a couple of extra calls and it turns out that wasn't really a listing. That place didn't actually exist.

I think especially when you're using a peer-to-peer site like Airbnb or Vrbo, this happened to us one time. We thought we were getting a great deal on a hotel room, but as we were getting closer, we weren't getting the details sent to us. So we made a couple of extra calls and it turns out that wasn't really a listing. That place didn't actually exist.