Facebook groups associated with specific cruise sailings are popular online communities where passengers booked on the same cruise can connect, share information, and plan activities before they even set foot on the ship.
These groups can be incredibly useful for enhancing your cruise experience. Members can swap info about pre-cruise planning, organizing social events on board, and more. Unfortunately, there can also be a dark side.
Facebook groups are often targeted by scam artists, and cruise-oriented groups are no different. Some folks have recently reported a surge in such scams targeting excited cruise travelers.
The scam involves unscrupulous individuals selling non-existent merchandise like custom shot glasses and t-shirts, often tugging at the heartstrings with fabricated stories to secure sales.
Check out the video below for more details on what’s been going on.
We should all use stories like this as a reminder to be vigilant against internet scammers. Have fun participating in cruise-specific Facebook groups, but proceed with caution.
Opt for transactions completed face-to-face on the ship rather than online payments beforehand. And, alert group admins about suspicious activities to help maintain the group’s integrity.