Black Friday: check out 5 tips to not fall into tourism frauds

One of the favorite moments of the Brazilian during the year to buy tickets and accommodations is Black Friday. A search conducted by Google in July 2024 shows that the date promises to be relevant: 72% of consumers heard would like to have some kind of travel offer. In the overall product ranking, the study showed that among the most desired items in the period, trips are in seventh place, with 15% of preference.

Marcelo Linhares, CEO of Only, the largest B2B travel tech in Latin America he says that the fraud of non-existent air tickets is one of the main scams, when consumers buy tickets on fake websites that mimic companies that actually exist.“Na Black Friday, scammers become more daring, offering unreal promotions that will never be fulfilled. Offers such as tickets to the Maldives by R$ 4 thousand or flights to Sao Paulo by R$ 69 are typical examples of these impossible situations”, he explains. 

There is also an increase in the practice of phishing, where emails, websites and malicious messages are passed on by promotions of known companies to request personal or payment data.

Tips to prevent fraud during Black Friday

1. Check the reputation of the site: research the company before finalizing the purchase and always check if the domain of the site corresponds to the official of the company. Choose to keep purchases through traditional travel agencies or platforms already known can reduce the risks of fraud;
2. Beware of fake URLs: be aware of sites that visually copy legitimate ones, but that make minor changes to the URL address. These details may indicate fraud;
3. Check the social networks of the company: dissatisfied consumers usually make complaints through the social networks of tourism-focused companies. Comments asking for money back and reviews can reveal scams or recurring complaints about the service;
4. Use credit card: the credit card offers greater protection against fraud and the possibility of challenging charges in case of problems. Scammers usually offer larger discounts for payments via PIX, since the money can not be recovered in this payment method.