In modern life, car rental may be needed for various reasons, since a car has long been not a luxury, but a necessity: for a wedding celebration, transporting guests, going on vacation, out of town with friends, or for work. It is hardly possible to list all the reasons why you may need to rent a car. Renting a car is convenient and economical if you don't have your own car.
Renting a car from trusted companies, such as Renty (you can find the company on the website https://renty.ae/), will be very economical in terms of money and time. And also after renting a car from such companies, you will have only positive emotions.
If you are new in the car rental business, then most likely the scammers will recognize you right away. And, unfortunately, they are happy to use it.
Below we will get acquainted with the most common options for "divorcing" customers for money when renting a car.
"Muddy" contract
Drawing up a contract with the disguise of important points that are “harmful” to the client has already become a classic of the fraudulent genre. However, despite the fact that this method has existed for a long time, a large number of customers still fall for this trick.
As a rule, “harmful” clauses or wordings for the client are printed in the contract in small hard-to-read print or are hidden in a mass of secondary information. Often, contracts are deliberately drawn up with a large amount of text in the hope that the client will get tired of reading or get confused about the mass of information and miss important points or wording.
Recommendations for clients in such a situation are as old as the world – carefully read the entire contract, pay close attention to the text in small print and clarify all the conditions as much as possible.
Fuel tank fill mark
In almost all rental companies, the renter (client) of the car is obliged to return the car with replenishment in the tank of used fuel. However, the receiver of the company's car can easily "forget" to note the amount of fuel in the tank in the acceptance certificate.
And if the fuel is not enough, then the client will be fined, moreover, as for the lack of a full tank plus a refueling service. Therefore, when returning a rented car, the amount of fuel in the tank should be taken more carefully.
Insurance
A client who refuses insurance in order to save money is the main target for unscrupulous car rental companies! Any old scratch or dent not recorded in the car's damage log and not noticed by the client can result in a hefty fine.
If you still decide to save on insurance, then you are strongly advised to check the rented car more carefully, including the bottom.
On the Internet sites of many rental companies, such information is often found: “insurance is included in the rental price” or “insurance policy is included in the price”. As a rule, in fact, only a minimum insurance package or a policy with significant restrictions is included in the package of services.
The best option is to take out full insurance, although the cost of rent can increase by about 1.5 times. However, the penalty for old damage at dishonest rental companies can more than exceed the additional costs of full insurance.
Dirty car
Typically, the rental company gives the customer a clean car and requires him to return the car in the same clean condition. If the customer returns the car in a dirty condition, the company may impose a fine.
However, in a contract with an unscrupulous company, the concept of “clean” can be interpreted as “washed”, which can easily become a reason for a fine even when returning a clean car.
In some rental companies, a paid car wash after rental use is completely mandatory, regardless of their cleanliness (even if customers have just washed them). Only customers find out about it at the last moment when it is no longer possible to refuse the imposed paid service.
We have to state the fact and agree that even the most vigilant and experienced client, to one degree or another, receives a “pig in a poke” for rent, when you rent a car in your city or abroad. Indeed, in order to “get acquainted” with the proposed car, it takes not only time, but also special equipment, for example, a lift.
However, following the above rules, as well as knowing how to cheat in a certain situation, will help you avoid many problems and misunderstandings and save you money.
Online Threat Alerts Security Tips
Pay the safest way
Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.
Guard your personal information
In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.
Be careful of the information you share
Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with
Know who you’re dealing with
Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.
Check your accounts
Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.
Don’t believe promises of easy money
If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.
Do not open email from people you don’t know
If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.
Think before you click
If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.
Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond
If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.
Be careful with links and new website addresses
Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.
Secure your personal information
Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.
Stay informed on the latest cyber threats
Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.
Use Strong Passwords
Strong passwords are critical to online security.
Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs
Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.
Update the operating systems on your electronic devices
Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.
What if You Got Scammed?
Stop Contact With The Scammer
Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.
Secure Your Finances
- Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
- Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:
- Equifax
- Experian
- TransUnion
Check Your Computer
If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.
Change Your Account Passwords
Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.
Report The Scam
Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.
Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:
- Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
- Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
- Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.
How To Recognize a Phishing Scam
Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.
Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:
Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might
- say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
- claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
- say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
- include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
- want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
- say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
- offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real
About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)
Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.
By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.
With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.
Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.
Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).