The holiday season is a time of staying together.
Are you living in a hotel? Do not sign into the television in your room to access the streaming services.
It is a safe bet to go through a reputed agency if you plan to rent a car while you’re away anytime soon. But the fraudsters are pouncing due to the increased demand for rentals. Even if you don’t fall for fraud, there is another way you may risk your information.
Scammers look for an opportunity:
The rental car firms unloaded their inventory during the pandemic, and finding a rental in a few places could still be challenging during the favored travel times.
Cybercriminals can improve search term rankings to ensure that false rental agencies appear on top of the search results. Then, when an ignorant victim inquiries regarding available rentals, the fraud is set in action.
A “customer service representative” will provide you with a special deal in one variation of this fraud. You’ll obtain an excessive discount if you pay through a gift card or prepaid debit card.
You buy cards and share your Personal Identification Number(PIN) with the fake representative. Then, the fraudster mentions that the money did not transfer and that you’ll have to purchase another card.
The rental firm is counterfeit and will flee with the untraced money in the blink of an eye.
It would be best to only pay for something by utilizing a gift card or a prepaid debit card. Any genuine firm will never insist you use that method of payment.
A simple mistake made by everybody with rented cars:
While renting a car, you can utilize Bluetooth or a charging cable to synchronize your smartphone with the automobile. It is understandable, so you can play music, get directions or receive a call while driving.
Many people need to consider this point: The moment you synchronize your phone with a rented car, your contacts, locations, subscriptions to music, social media, and text messages are transferred to the onboard computer of the car.
The next person who rents that car will access all your information. As rental firms routinely sell automobiles from their fleets, you’ll need to find out where your data will end up.
Take your phone out of the linked devices before giving back a rental automobile. Selecting a factory reset option would be better, which erases any data stored on the car’s computers.
How to prevent rental car fraud?
Here are a few tips for keeping you safe:
- It is better to use the contact information directly listed on a business website instead of depending on the internet search for the contact details of customer support.
- Sometimes, fake websites pop up at the top of the search results. Be alert while clicking over the URL to check whether it looks legitimate.
- If you need more clarification on promotional offers, get the customer service contact details from the firm’s official website. After that, call them directly to ensure the deal is genuine.