Holiday booking nightmares: How scammers are looking to bank on your convenience

Wasanga Mehana (standing in for 702 and CapeTalk’s Africa Melane) speaks with Brendon Petersen, Editor for Reframed.

Listen below:

While holidays are meant to be a time of relaxation, bookings can sometimes be a nightmare.

From fake listings and phantom rentals... to bait-and-switch schemes, scammers continue to find new ways to exploit potential holiday goers. 

“I have heard of so many horror stories… if you look at our cybersecurity stats in general, South Africa ranks fairly low unfortunately.” 

– Brendon Petersen, Editor – Reframed

“People don’t seem to realise that convenience comes at a cost...”

– Brendon Petersen, Editor – Reframed

Arguably it is safer to book directly with recognised hotel chains, says Peterson.

If you are looking for more niche holiday rentals or want to book through third-party platforms, do your research.

“Look for safety checks that says that this person [or company] has been verified and they have been vetted.” 

– Brendon Petersen, Editor – Reframed

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the discussion.