Fired deputy charged with crimes had troubled past in law enforcementNew resolution could help fend off FEMA’s threat to pull flood insurance discount
This Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021 photo provided by Hayden Smith shows United Airlines Flight 328 approaching Denver International Airport, after experiencing “a right-engine failure” shortly after takeoff from Denver. Federal regulators are investigating what caused a catastrophic engine failure on the plane that rained debris on Denver suburbs as the aircraft made an emergency landing. Authorities said nobody aboard or on the ground was hurt despite large pieces of the engine casing that narrowly missed homes below. (Hayden Smith via AP) As more COVID-19 restrictions are eased, some people can’t wait to travel. After a year of not being able to go anywhere, you can imagine many of us are booking trips right now. But those deals you find could cost you a lot more than advertised. Ads to travel do look enticing, and they come via email, text, social media, any way they can. One thing in common, they tell you to click on a link or call a customer service number for cheap flights to your vacation dream site. The problem is its a scam and no airline tickets are actually booked and your money could be gone. Brian Oglesby with the Better Business Bureau of West Florida, said, “The challenge that we have here is scammers can operate just like legitimate businesses can, they can advertise on social media, they can show up at the top of a search engine. And they can create a website that looks real and looks legitimate.” If you actually take a look at the deal offered, it is probably too good to be true. Ways you can protect yourself: Research the website or phone number. See how long the site has been registered (one way is to check with the BBB) Check the URL for correct spelling (misspellings are a clue) Be wary of third-party websites Use your credit card (more protection than a debit card) This scam has to do with airline reservations, but you should be on the lookout for scams for hotels, rental cars, vacation rentals and more…The scammers always try and find a way. RESOURCES: BBB Scam Tracker BBB Scam Alert: Watch out for airfare scams when booking your next trip FTC on Travel Scams