The travel industry ranks among the most successful of all time, and it is crucial in today’s world. It revolves around individuals or groups travelling from one area to another for pleasure or business.
However, the travel industry is experiencing an increase in the frequency of travel scams. Both travellers and service providers are vulnerable to fraud and scams. Malicious actors have effectively used devious techniques to achieve their malevolent purposes. No area of the financial system is immune to dishonesty and fraud.
However, identity document verification can help to reduce travel frauds.
Let’s take a closer look at the many types of travel scams and how to avoid them by using online identity verification.
4 Kinds of Travel Scams
There are many types of travel scams, but some of them are as follows:
The Sauce Trick
This strategy essentially involves diverting the traveller’s focus away from their belongings and towards something else. Crooks squirt or spill sauce on travellers. They immediately point it out and offer to help them wipe it off. Meanwhile, fraudsters or their partners will steal the traveller’s wallet.
Other pickpocketing techniques include having someone pretend to fall down, being lured by a local, or having a cat or baby thrown at tourists. The trick is to interpret any oddly distracting behaviour as a theft attempt. It helps them also steal their identity documents and purchase cards.
Money Exchanging
The old note-switch-a-roo is one of the most famous travel scams and occurs everywhere. The taxi drivers or shopkeepers give less change to the traveler than the actual amount. Or they’ll swiftly swap a 50 for a 5, then complain that they didn’t give them enough.
Tourists walk up to the foreign exchange counter and want to convert money. During the exchange, the cashier converts similar currencies, and they end up receiving less money than they are paid for.
Check money before departing, and don’t allow taxi drivers or shopkeepers to hurry through the procedure. It’s critical to keep your eyes vigilant since several currencies have denominations that seem identical in colour and style.
Rental Fraud
Rental fraud is one of the oldest travel scams. In this scam, tourists rent a car or scooter from a local person. The owner confronts them with demands for payment for physical damage when they return the vehicle.
They snatch the passports of travellers and then call the police. To avoid this fraud, inspect any equipment or vehicle before renting it and take pictures of any previous damage to inform the rental owner.
Bar Scam
Imagine tourists arriving in a new nation and deciding to explore the nightlife by having a drink at a local bar. A pleasant local approaches them and begins a chat. The locals will eventually leave as the hours and drinks pass, leaving them with nothing but a bad experience.
The fraudster pickpockets the travellers, and a massive, exorbitant bar bill will be on them. Tourists should keep an eye on beverages and valuables at all times. They should keep a note of how much they consume.
Reduce Travel Scams in the Digital Age with Identity Verification
All travel agents must use ID verification methods to reduce travel frauds. Companies should use extra security steps to prevent data theft. Even after installing a gate, they should develop proper processes and train workers to ensure the confidentiality of the client’s sensitive information.
Biometric identification verification is one of the most effective methods for detecting and preventing travel scams. These verification techniques are critical for establishing a trustworthy corporate reputation among clients and travel brokers. Below are some methods to stop these frauds:
Integrating ID Document Verification Methods
To avoid document frauds, travel companies must verify that only authorised personnel have access to online platforms. This could be assured before completing an online ticket purchase by conducting customer identity document verification processes.
Digital platforms should follow the document verification process when customers pay via credit or debit cards for online shopping. Verifying identification papers can also assist airports in avoiding long lineups and headaches at the main counter. With document verification, airports can successfully comply with AML laws and identify people on watchlists.
Opting for Biometric Verification
Biometric verification is a component of the online identity verification process. It ensures that users are who they say they are. Facial recognition technology employs real-time detections to confirm customers. Then, the system cross-checks these detections against identifying papers. Travel companies can considerably reduce clients’ check-in times by doing these KYC verification evaluations.
Conclusion
Technological advances have a significant influence on both the business world and the rate of criminal behaviour. Although the travel sector has been digitized, poor verification procedures do nothing to protect tourists from travel scams. Document verification and face detection are strong security approaches that this business can employ to provide comprehensive protection.
Face verification systems detect deep fakes, spoof assaults, and created identities in real-time. As a result, there is no way for fraudsters to leave a nation after fulfilling their malicious goals or defrauding travel businesses.