As if summer travel wasn’t stressful enough.
In the midst of headache-making fuel prices, inflation hitting popular summer hotspots (looking at you, Europe) and long waits at airports all over, there’s a new worry that summer travelers can add to their list.
Sneaky scammers are reportedly posing as airline customer service reps through fake phone numbers that appear online, according to a report from Consumer Affairs.
It’s human nature to want to call the airline one is traveling with after getting notified that an impending flight is delayed or canceled. To do this, most travelers search an airline’s customer service number and click on one of the first search results that pop up.
Knowing this, scammers are using misleading websites, online ads and even manipulating search listings with fake information to prey on frantic travelers to receive everything from credit card to passport information.
The tricky thing is, according to the report, the swindlers are answering these fake phone numbers, posing as airline representatives, even falsely claiming to issue tickets or threatening to charge additional fees.
To avoid this simple mistake, it’s advised to only call the phone number issued in the airline’s official app, website or confirmation email.
If this is enough to make you want to avoid flying altogether this summer, The Post rounded up five scenic, close to NYC drives that are sure to put your nerves at ease.
The Berkshires in Massachusetts is a short three-hour drive from the Big Apple, filled with green woodland, clear lakes and a delicious farm-to-table restaurant scene.
Nothing says summer quite like a trip to the Jersey Shore. You can’t go wrong with visiting any of the beach towns but one in particular, only a 90-minute drive from NYC, stands out from the rest — Avon-by-the-Sea, known for its white, never overly crowded beaches, seafood-focused restaurant scene and stunning homes.
Watkins Glen State Park in the Finger Lakes makes the long 4-hour drive from the City worth it.
“Watkins Glen State Park is an amazing summer destination to escape the city and enjoy the outdoors. To avoid crowds and parking difficulties in this popular park hit the trails early in the morning,” RVshare travel expert Fiorella Yriberry told The Post.
Hudson Valley, which is being branded as the new Hamptons and known for its famous Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse, trails at the Rockefeller State Park Preserve and adorable, quaint times, is only an hour drive from Manhattan.
Skip the crowded out East scene and instead check out Greenport, Long Island — a sleepy, but charming beach town known for its history and wineries.
