Getting away on a cruise holiday can be a memory you'll never forget.
Chilling by the pool, relaxing in the sun, enjoying the nightly entertainment, and getting scammed by a lowlife whose idea of a proper job is stealing from innocent holiday makers.
OK, so that last one isn't a good memory, but sadly, there are scammers out there who are out to make a quick buck off your holiday. Unfortunately, it's much more common than you might think, and what was shaping up to be the holiday of a lifetime, can easily be ruined if you don't know how to spot the signs of a scammer.
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Royal Caribbean are one of the cruise lines that are currently being targeted by scammers, with holiday makers being scammed while trying to make simple changes to their reservations.
How are scammers targeting Royal Caribbean customers?
The latest trend from scammers is to target Royal Caribbean customers looking to make straight-forward changes to their reservations.
While it might seem simple enough to make minor alterations to your booking, scammers are throwing out fake numbers and pretending to be Royal Caribbean's reservation team, leading to holiday makers paying for changes that they otherwise might not have had to pay for.
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Reddit user Landlord40 took to the r/royalcaribbean sub this week to seek advice, following scammers trying to swindle $298 (£223.20) from him for a simple name change. In their plea for advice, they said: "Due to the sailing being within 90 days, (75days from now), we are being told that we have to pay $298 for this change. There are no additional people coming, we are simply swapping a name from one room to another room."
How to keep yourself safe from Royal Caribbean scams
Scammers often create fake websites, and post fake numbers around the internet in an attempt to allure customers into calling them instead of the actual company.
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Many scams involve telling customers they have outstanding balances, even when they don't.
If you want to make keep yourself safe, the best bet is to make sure you head over to the official Royal Caribbean website and either call the number directly from there, or submit a help request form on the website.
Scammers can be extremely convincing, which is why so many customers have had their holidays ruined over the years. This is why it's important to make sure you have the right number, and never make a payment unless you are sure you need to and that you're speaking to the right people.
Topics: Crime, Cruise Ship, Royal Caribbean, Travel, Reddit
Kegan Marquez