PTAA warns vs online travel scams

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines —The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) has warned the public of the proliferation of online travel scams that offer cheap local and international vacation plans.

Jaison Yang, PTAA spokesman, said the public should be cautious when dealing with these online offers.

“One should be cautious when transacting online for travel booking and related matters. These travel online scammers are only waiting for their next victims,” Yang said during the city’s first Travel Tour Expo at a mall here.

As a precaution, he advised the public to first check if the group offering the travel package is a member of the PTAA. If not, it would be best to refrain from transacting, he added.

Evangeline Tankiang Manotok, PTAA president, said the usual victims are those looking for fast transactions and cheaper travel or vacation opportunities here and abroad.

“Face-to-face transactions between travelers and the travel agencies are still the safest method. However, if you want to transact online, identify those that are legit travel agencies,” Manotok said.