Be careful when buying vacations online

Stating that one of the biggest dangers of the internet, which makes our lives easier in every field, is the security problem, Istanbul Aydın University Corporate Communications Director and Social Media Researcher Ümit Sanlav drew attention to the risk of being scammed.

Stating that internet scammers, who follow the sensitivities, needs, and trends of society, are now targeting citizens making holiday reservations, Ümit Sanlav explained what should be considered to avoid being scammed when making a holiday reservation.

Expressing that before purchasing your vacation online, the authenticity and corporate status of both the agency and the hotel must be researched, Sanlav said, "With the 'view site information' option located next to the address bar where the domain name is written, you can access both the technical information of the site representing the institution and information about the relevant institution."

''FROM PLACES YOU ARE SUSPICIOUS OF AND THAT DO NOT HAVE SOLID REFERENCES...''

Sanlav drew attention to the importance of the balance between service and price, saying, "Compare the service received with offers that provide the cheapest price to attract customers. Research the price of the service promised to you at other equivalent facilities. Know that you cannot stay at a 5-star facility for the price of the most affordable hostel. Avoid purchasing vacations from places you are suspicious of and that do not have solid references."

''RESEARCHING COMPLAINTS IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT PRECAUTION''

Sanlav continued his warnings about precautions as follows:
"Researching complaints online about sites that sell vacations online is also an important precaution. Try to stay away from sites that have a certain majority of negative reviews about them. While complaints such as 'the location is far,' 'the staff is not friendly,' or 'the breakfast variety is low' give an idea about the comfort of that facility, regarding the main topic of internet fraud, pay attention to warnings such as 'I lost my money' or 'they double-booked the room'."

''CONFIRM THAT THE AGENCY WORKS WITH THE HOTEL''

Sanlav stated the following: "Before using the services you purchased and during the purchasing stage, perform cross-checks as much as possible. If you have purchased hotel service, definitely call the hotel and check whether they work with the company-agency you made the purchase from. Know that the one who allocates the most budget to digital marketing on social media and internet environments will always appear at the top, and that appearing at the top is not a measure of quality."

''CHECK YOUR RESERVATION''

Sanlav used the sentences, "To avoid room for operational errors, after making the reservation and one day before checking into the hotel, call the hotel to check if there is a reservation in your name."

''DO NOT INVITE THIEVES''

Stating that social media environments, which make our lives easier by providing instant data transfer under perfect conditions, can also threaten personal security, Ümit Sanlav also warned that posts made on social media while on vacation can show that there is no one at home, thus issuing an open invitation to thieves.

Sanlav stated that posts such as "I am currently on vacation with my family" are equivalent to giving the home address to thieves.

Sanlav said, "One of the biggest security vulnerabilities is the posts citizens make on social media with their families while on vacation. If even one of the profiles of the family members sharing photos from the vacation is open to everyone, or if there are malicious people who know the family on vacation and know where their house is, they can see these posts. Not only risky people who know the location of the house, but thieves can also enter the profiles of people who share vacation photos and conduct research to understand the location of their homes. When these people scroll down a bit on the profile, they can find posts from which they can guess the location of the house, or there are those who openly share by reporting their location from their home. This situation means an open invitation to thieves."

TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND

Ümit Sanlav concluded his words by expressing some important tips to keep in mind when using social media:
"Privacy Settings: Set your profile so that only your friends can see it instead of making it open to everyone.
Location Information: Avoid sharing location information in photos or status updates.
Timing: Instead of sharing where you are while on vacation, prefer to share these memories upon your return from vacation.
Content of Posts: Be very careful when making posts that contain home or personal information and remember that this information can be used by malicious people."