Vacation Giveaway Scam

Congratulations! You have won a 3 day, 2 nights all inclusive vacation for two in Las Vegas, Nevada. Does this sound familiar? Have you seen the name of a major hotel chain listed in big bold red letters on the advertisement? You've probably received a voice recorded phone call or postcard in the mail telling you to call this number to claim your vacation. The scam is when you call the number, you soon find out that you have to purchase another vacation package or pay some overpriced service charge. These fees can be anywhere in the ballpark of $200 to $600. All you will receive is a travel package describing your vacation with many restrictions on when you can take your trip. You will get an expiration date that is almost impossible to stay within, because your preferred travel dates will most likely be unavailable. You can expect additional charges for booking your reservations, which can range anywhere from $50 to $100 per booking. If you have complaints they will offer you an upgraded plan for an additional fee. If you are one the few people, who do receive a vacation package, you can expect to receive low class accommodations. Please be aware that most of these scams do come from the southeastern part of Florida and these "vacation offers" may be an offer for you to pay $200 or more. It's not a free vacation. They may sound enticing but keep in mind businesses can't stay afloat selling goods or services for less than they really cost. If you have been a victim of this fraud, you can file complaint with Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service @ http://www.800helpfla.com/ccform.html