There is a saying that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. As electronic and social media have made advertisements easier than ever, there is a growing number of scams, especially leveraging the tourism industry. Here’s what one should keep in mind to avoid scams while booking for travel at home or abroad.  Ways to Avoid Scams while Doing Travel Bookings  Check for Website Authenticity  Website authenticity is the first and foremost way to avoid travel booking scams.  What’s the typical process people follow for booking? They go to Google and type in their keywords like ‘7 days vacation package to (desired destination)’.  Read more: Solo Trip: Tips for Travelling Alone for the First Time Many fake websites leverage these keywords and advertise on search engines. As a result, they tend to show up at the top of the search results. Fortunately, one can easily check where there is an “AD” mark next to the website link.  There are several ways to check an authentic site. An efficient approach would be to check for the Domain Authority (DA) using free online tools. It is better to avoid sites with lower DA scores.  Avoid Too Good to Be True Offers Data harvesting and tracking is another way scammers target tourists and travelers. The moment you put in a keyword in a search bar regarding a booking, you will notice enticing offers showing up regarding that destination. Most of these ads often sound too good to be true. And in almost all the cases, they are.  Read more: 10 Most Affordable Destinations in Indonesia: Winter retreats on a budget As a precautionary measure, always double-check the offer on the website. Check for website authority to ensure that the displayed offers are indeed legit.  Double Check on the Payment  There are two warning signs of scams when it comes to payment – lack of encryption and guiding users to a different landing page. A legit travel booking site will have the necessary SSL encryption which shows up as a keypad lock right after the https in the address bar. Scam websites don’t have those. Some scammers have legit-looking websites for information and pricing but would take the users to a different domain for payment. Users should be wary of those sites as well.  Read more: 10 Overseas Places Bangladeshis Can Visit Under BDT 10,000

The government of Bangladesh has said as a party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child it would not tolerate any act of abusing children, noting that Prothom Alo journalist Shamsuzzaman Shams was arrested because of “child abuse and exploitation”. "The government would also not accept any such effort aimed at maligning the Independence Day of the nation," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today (April 01, 2023). The government of Bangladesh is committed to uphold the freedom of expression for all its citizens and the media, the foreign ministry said. Read More: Prothom Alo journalist Shams denied bail, sent to jail However, it said, creating social unrest by undertaking such “fraudulent acts” is contrary to the spirit of honest journalism. The ministry said it has been brought to the notice of the government that some international media and institutions are claiming that a journalist in Bangladesh, named Shamsuzzaman, has been arrested as he wrote about the “cost of living in Bangladesh”. "This information is totally false and fabricated. This journalist was arrested because of ‘child abuse’ and ‘child exploitation," the foreign ministry said. Many media outlets have been continuously reporting on the cost of living in Bangladesh since the beginning of the Ukraine war which has caused inflation around the world. Read More: Prothom Alo journalist Shams taken to court "No one has been arrested due to such reporting. The said journalist was arrested because of child abuse and child exploitation, as he offered ten taka to a 9-year-old boy and then expressed his own views in the name of that child," the ministry said. "That is surely an act of child abuse and exploitation. Secondly, he tried to undermine the independence of Bangladesh on the great Independence Day. These acts are surely tantamount to punishable crimes," the foreign ministry said. Read More: Prothom Alo reporter Shamsuzzaman sued under DSA