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