Going On Vacation? BBB Says Beware Of Rental Car Scams

With a light at the end of the tunnel with the pandemic and people getting antsy to get out of their bubble, more people are starting to travel again. This has caused a rental car shortage and with it, a rental car scam.

The Better Business Bureau first warned of this scam back in May of this year, as things first started getting back to normal. Now, because of the shortage of rental cars, scammers have found a new way to cash in.

So how could a rental car scam even happen? The Better Business Bureau explains that as people search for a rental car or company to use while on vacation, a fake number pops up in the search engine. However, it appears like a legitimate company at first glance and you don't know firsthand that the number is fake.

From there, you call up the number of the supposed company and are told that there is a special promotion going on that can not only get you a rental car, which is in short supply, but that can get you a discount.

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You are told that you can get a rental car at a discount if you pay using a gift card or a prepaid debit card. To make the whole thing seem legitimate, you are told that the company has teamed up with the debit or gift card provider.

Sadly, this whole thing is a scam and you are out the money you paid to get the gift card or the prepaid debit card. In some cases, the BBB says that they even get the customer twice, telling them the gift card or debit card codes didn't work.

Thankfully, the one thing scammers have taught us, especially over the past year, is that asking to pay for something with a prepaid gift or debit card usually means a scam is underway.

As with every other scam we have learned about recently, do not pay for something using a debit or a gift card. Always take a few minutes to make sure the company you are buying something from is legitimate.

By the way, the rental car shortage could last well into the summer so make sure you brush up on this scam and spread the word so others can be made aware of it as well.

At the end of May, another scam was going around. This scam was targeting Wisconsin residents in particular, with scammers posing as members of U.S. Customs and Border Control in an effort to get personal information.