Wisconsin hotel booking scam: How fake websites trick travelers

MILWAUKEE - If you're planning a last-minute getaway this summer, Wisconsin officials want you to learn from one family's bad experience after booking a hotel online.

Family scammed

The backstory:

The family booked a hotel room for a reunion but discovered the room was never reserved.

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"They found out when they got there, they hadn't really booked through the hotel. They had been directed through a fake imposter website," said Michelle Reinen with the Wisconsin's Division of Trade & Consumer Protection.

The family not only lost their money, but they had no place to stay. They tried using another website to book a new room and ran into more trouble.

"A box had been pre-checked for them for a refund protection program that they had to pay $200 for," Reinen said.

They lost another $200 because they didn't un-click a box. 

Avoid copycat websites

What you can do:

State officials said you shouldn't click on links in social media ads or posts. They could lead to copycat websites.

"Type in that web address all on your own. Or, call the hotel directly and make sure you're actually talking to the front desk," Reinen said.

Consumers should also pay attention to the total charge at check-out and any pre-checked boxes.

"Is there an extra program that you've signed up for that you don't want to be a part of?" Reinen asked.

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Remember that the first search result for a hotel is not always the correct one. Scammers will sometimes add words to a web address, or swap a ".com" for a ".net," so the address looks correct at a glance.

Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Jenna Sachs and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.