State officials: Don't get tripped up by vacation scams

MADISON -- The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is warning travelers to watch out for too-good-to-be-true deals and keep a close eye on any fine print that accompanies an offer.

Fraudulent vacation-related operations often involve one of two elements: postcard mailers promising free or heavily discounted travel and online advertisements for rental properties.

The postcards may be fronts for high-pressure sales pitches for vacation clubs or timeshares. In some cases they may be ploys to get potential victims to pay taxes or fees on a non-existent prize.

Online ads that feature unbelievably low prices on rental properties in vacation hotspots should alert you to be suspicious of the offer and to do more research. You might even notice that scammers have ripped pictures and descriptions of properties from real estate listings and posted the information to a classified ad as a rental property.

When considering a vacation offer, officials want you to remember the following tips:

For additional information or to file a complaint, visit the Consumer Protection Bureau at datcp.wi.gov, send an e-mail to datcphotline@wisconsin.gov or call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-422-7128.