BBB Scam Alert: When booking a rental car, watch out for phony deals

Milwaukee, Wis. – Need to rent a car? When reaching out to rental car companies to book a rental, take extra steps to be sure you’re talking with the right person. BBB Scam Tracker is receiving reports of con artists impersonating rental car company representatives. They claim to be able to get you a deal on your rental, but it’s really a way to trick you into paying hundreds of dollars for a car that doesn’t exist.

How the scam works

You search for a rental car company online and dial the phone number that appears at the top of the results. A “customer service representative” answers and explains that you are in luck! The company is offering a special promotion. If you pay for your rental upfront using a gift card or prepaid debit card, you can get a significant discount.

It seems odd, but the representative insists that the “deal” is a partnership with the gift or pre-paid debit card provider. You purchase the cards and share the PIN with the representative. In several reports, the scammer insists that the money didn’t transfer, and you need to purchase another card. But no matter how many cards you buy, the outcome will be the same. The “special offer” is a scam, and the rental car doesn’t even exist.

One consumer shared their recent experience with a rental car booking scam on BBB Scam Tracker, “I called [company name redacted] to rent a car and was told I needed to choose one of the stores they use to buy a Visa card and send to them to get the vehicle. I was given the impression that this was the only [way] to reserve a discount…I then found out they wanted another $250. I asked for a refund and was told I would lose $100 for breaking a contract.” This consumer reported losing $325.

How to avoid a rental car con

• Never make payments with prepaid debit cards or gift cards. Scammers prefer these payment methods because there is nothing you can do to get your money back. Remember, legitimate companies almost always accept credit cards as the primary means of payment. If you’re being asked to pay with a gift card, a wire transfer, or a digital wallet app, consider these red flags for a scam.
• Use contact information listed directly on the business’s website instead of relying on an internet search for customer support phone numbers (double check the URL).
• Beware of sponsored links. Fake websites sometimes pop up in your web browser’s sponsored ad section and appear at the top of the search results. Be careful when clicking! Hover over the URL to be sure it’s the right one.
• When in doubt, verify special deals directly with the company. If you are unsure about a promotional offer, get the customer service number from the company’s official website. Call the company directly to make sure the deal is real.

For More Information

Booking a vacation? Visit BBB’s Travel HQ for tips on all things travel. Watch out for airfare scams and other travel cons. Also, watch out for scammers posting fake customer support numbers online.

If you’ve been the victim of a similar scam, report it to BBB Scam Tracker. Your first-hand experience can help others recognize scammers’ tactics before it’s too late.

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Read more about BBB Accreditation Standards and BBB Standards for Trust.

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For more information or further inquiries, contact the Wisconsin BBB at www.bbb.org/wisconsin, 414-847-6000 or 1-800-273-1002. Consumers also can find more information about how to protect themselves from scams by following the Wisconsin BBB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

ABOUT BBB: The Better Business Bureau has empowered people to find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust for over 110 years. In 2023, people turned to BBB more than 218 million times for BBB Business Profiles on 5.3 million businesses, and 80,000 times for BBB charity reports on about 12,000 charities, for free at BBB.org. The International Association of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for the local, independent BBBs in the United States and Canada.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.