As long holidays have already kicked off, ScamWatch Pilipinas — the national citizen arm of the Philippine government for educating Filipinos against cyber fraud — and the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) have urged vacationers to stay vigilant against travel scams.

PNP-ACG Acting Director Brigadier General Bernard Yang said that recognizing online travel scams helps Filipinos develop the online safety skills needed to identify fraudulent content on social media, especially during the summer season.

“To combat deceptive online scams, educating Filipinos about travel scams is a practical step towards building online safety awareness and the ability to detect manipulation," Gen. Yang said.

ScamWatch Pilipinas Co-Founder Jocel de Guzman emphasized their ongoing effort to inform the public, noting their seasonal campaigns, including the current warning about 14 summer travel scams, following similar initiatives for Christmas and Valentine's Day.

“We previously released the ‘12 Scams of Christmas’ and ‘8 Love Scam Profiles’ for Valentine’s, and now we're highlighting the ‘14 Travel Scams’ for summer,” De Guzman said.

“We’re once again reminding the public to stay vigilant against the 14 most common travel scams identified in the campaign — from fake accommodations to bogus travel deals. Vigilance is crucial in the fight against scammers,” De Guzman added.

ScamWatch Pilipinas has identified 14 prevalent travel scams targeting unsuspecting tourists, spanning both online and in-person deceptions.

These include fake accommodations advertised at impossibly low rates, fake Wi-Fi hotspots designed to steal personal data, and too-good-to-be-true deals on flights and hotels that disappear after payment.

The group also warned travelers to be cautious of "free" vacation traps with hidden costs, fake travel agents who vanish with payments, and overpriced "exclusive" tours.

Other risks include charity cons, counterfeit cash, hidden CCTV cameras, and fake taxis charging exorbitant fees.

Online scams have also emerged, such as the false sale of lost luggage on Facebook, fake SIM cards, and cheap airline tickets offered via social media.

Finally, travelers should be wary of fixers promising convenience at transport hubs — a common scam tactic.

Gen. Yang also urged the public to report travel scams to the National Anti-Scam Hotline 1326 or the PNP-ACG Hotline at (02) 8723-0401 (loc. 7491). They may also call 0968-8674302, 0967-1360322, or 0992-9893889.

A significant shift in scam tactics has been observed in the Philippines, with anti-scam app Whoscall reporting a sharp decline in SMS scams — down 68.3 percent year-over-year — and a simultaneous rise in scam calls during the first quarter of 2025.

The app's data shows SMS scam numbers dropped from over two million to 648,239.