10 Ways to Detecting Fake Travel Agents and Agencies

 

Prospective traveler 

As much as people love to travel, the fear of falling into the hands of fake travel agents and agencies is a terrifying and daily nightmare. It's not surprising that many people fall prey year after year. These sham travel agents have perfected the art of spotting first-time flyers and ripping them their hard-earned money.

However, losing their hard-earned money may lead to depression, sickness, rebranded poverty, and even the victim's death. This evil act of many travel agencies or travel agents is alarming and requires attention. But the question is, ' How can I detect this fake travel agent or agency? 

10 Ways to Detecting fake travel Agents and Agencies 

This article is an eye-opener of 10 ways to detect fraudulent travel agents and agencies. When you observe anyone or two below points. Please 'Japa' with your money.

Demands for payment in cash

No legitimate travel service will require you to pay in cash, via wire transfer, or their account. I've never heard of a professional travel agent just accepting money.

Be alert if your travel agency requests that you pay in cash or submit a check far in advance of your trip. 

Excessively low pricing

If something appears too good to be true, it most likely is fake. Travel agents are skilled at presenting enticing deals to naïve travelers. Do not spend your real-life money on 'Greek gifts.' Evaluate and reevaluate while looking for other indicators of a fake travel agent.

Imagine being offered 400,000 nairas in exchange for a Canada PR from Nigeria. Although it appears to be a low-cost transaction, there is a high chance it's fake. If you pay for it, it's your greed, and you're responsible for your scam.

No accreditation Evidence

Although not every travel agency or agent has a certification, authentic ones should at the very least be affiliated with a reputable organization so that they can verify them. They should be members of an organization that can keep them accountable.

One of the key advantages of dealing with an accredited travel agent is having a recognized organization submit a report if they misbehave. At least A travel agent should belong to:

1. National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA). 
2. Identified with Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA),
3.  International Air Transport Association (IATA), 
4. Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria to see if they are also accredited (FTAN). And many more.

Or verify if your so-called travel agent or agency is registered through Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

Verify Visibility 

If a travel agency or agent doesn't have an actual location or a visible internet presence, run! If there is no online presence or sign of life, that agency is most likely a fraud. Of course, creating bogus travel websites and hiding behind them is simple, but you can learn how to spot them.

Verify and check reviews online for a legitimate travel service with a website. Check out Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter, among other social media channels. You should be able to locate both positive and negative feedback on them. Treat a lack of web presence as a red indicator unless the agent is a small operation with a lot of third-party input from people who have worked with them.

No Follow-Up

It's a red flag if your travel agent is challenging to reach regularly. You cannot expect them to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but if he disappears after you pay, you have most likely been scammed.

A reputable travel agency will follow up with you. Before you ask, he tells you what you need to do next. They send you reminders after you book your flight, and first-time flyers, they may even show up at the airport. Their assistance does not end once you have left the nation; they want to know how your journey went and if you have settled in well.

Fake travel agents are unconcerned about any of this. When something goes wrong, you're always on their tail, and they're never reachable. All they want is your money.

 They Don't Listen or Offer Suggestions

this may be tricky, but please pay attention to how they listen and the ideas they give to tell the difference between a fake and a real agent. Fake travel agents frequently: 

1. Stumble or are evasive when asked about the application procedure.
2. Bring up a legitimate problem; they dismiss it. 
3. Also, assume that your journey is 100% guaranteed without giving you any details on how they plan to make that happen.

However, keep in mind that any agent that guarantees you a visa is most likely a fake, as legitimate travel agencies will advise Visas are granted at the discretion of the consulate of the nation you wish to visit.

A knowledgeable agent will listen to your needs, make recommendations, and give you information about your trip that you won't find on the internet.

They Dislike Meeting in Person.

We do a lot of things online these days. We also have weddings where the bride and groom are married in different places. However, with the rise of phony travel agents in the sector, it's best to avoid speaking with your agent over the phone. Meeting them in person and seeing how they react is a good idea.

Are they apprehensive about meeting in person? Do they insist on meeting you at a specific location? Are they refusing to give you the information in writing? If you answered yes to all three questions, be cautious. No legitimate travel agency will refuse to see you in person and insist on solely speaking with you over the phone.

Observe When Reviews appear fantastic

Look out for exaggerations on reviews. Good reviews can help you decide whether or not to work with a travel agent/agency. Third-party suggestions are pretty important. However, if the reviews appear too fantastic to be accurate, this may be a red flag.

People may bribe others to leave positive reviews, create phony accounts or use the pseudonym "anonymous" to give themselves excellent reviews.

It's important to remember that people are greedy, and you won't always get 5-star reviews from customers. As a result, a combination of the good and the terrible, with the good outnumbering the bad, is frequently more realistic. Learn how to recognize fake travel reviews.

Try to persuade you to pay for falsified documents.

Fake agents are constantly trying to falsify paperwork to show that you are ineligible for an application process. Because they have a reputation to maintain, genuine travel agents and agencies will not ask you to pay for falsified documents. 

On the other hand, Fake agents have no such reputation to maintain. They are more concerned with profiting from you as an unsuspecting traveler.

They Always offer a 100 percent guarantee visa.

Remember, your travels agent is not an embassy staff. Unless you work for the embassy or have divine powers, no travel agent can directly affect the outcome of some visa application. 

Travel agencies or agents know and experience what needs to be done and file for a visa to be issued, but the embassy ultimately makes the decision.

Promotes shortcuts

It's a big no-no to encourage people to take shortcuts instead of following the standard procedure. Please leave if your agents start teaching you how to fool immigration officers. 

Alternatively, they may encourage you to take a different route than usual. As a travel agent or agency, such comments create concerns about their credibility. Do not travel with a travel agent that keeps recommending that you enter by the back entrance.

We've looked at the most typical red alert to look for when recognizing fake travel agents. Follow the checklist as it will guide you and prove helpful. Don't get carried away by these shady agents' supposedly attractive promises. Learn to trust your gut instincts as well. Walk away if you have a gut feeling that something isn't right.

You can visit Ultitour travels to speak with any travel specialists who are always on the ground to make your trip fantasies a reality. We tell you what we do and never play with your money and time. We are tested and trusted travel.