How to Spot Scams and Fraud in Airport Parking Services

Imagine this: you book online parking. It’s a great deal.
The price is reasonable. It’s almost half of what everyone else charges. The website too looks good and professional. You looked at their reviews, and they look positive and convincing. You finally enter your card details and receive a confirmation email in return.

You finally arrive at the parking facility, only to discover that it doesn’t exist. Or it is a lot that was abandoned long ago.
These types of scams regarding airport parking are 100% real. And these are more common than people realize.
Scammers and criminals are aware that travelers are most of the time in a rush to catch their flights. Therefore, these criminals tend to exploit time pressure. They also exploit the unfamiliarity factor around the airport areas as well as the trust travellers have in online booking.

In the end, the travellers face losses in the form of stolen money, stolen vehicles, and ruined trips. And the only way to know how to avoid airport parking fraud and scams is to know about them.
Here are some of the tips to keep yourself safe by spotting parking scams before they cost you.

Why Airport Parking Attracts Scammers

When you understand the whole scam ecosystem, it will help you in recognizing the threats.

High Transaction Volume

Thousands of transactions are processed by airports on a daily basis. This allows the scammers to blend into the legitimate operations. They run schemes that steal money from multiple victims and are gone before anyone notices the unusual patterns.

Time-Pressured Customers

Last-minute parking bookings by travelers leave them in a vulnerable spot. They have their focus on catching the flight. In this hurry, they forget to vet the parking facility, and scammers happily exploit this.

Unfamiliarity with Geography

Many travelers are not familiar with the areas around the airport. It is difficult for them to recognize whether the address is legit or sketchy or the parking facility really is what it claims to be.

Targets that are high-value

Parked cars are of high value. Cars that have been parked for days and weeks give ample time to criminals to plan their stealing endeavor.

Online Anonymity

There are fake websites that look completely original. These are created by scammers who act as professional-looking sites. They collect payment and disappear before travelers realize they’ve been scammed.

Common Airport Parking Scams

Let’s have a look at some specific scams pulled by criminals.

The Fake Facility Scam

This is how it works: A website is created by scammers that advertises airport parking. The rates are super low. Your payment is collected, and a confirmation is sent to you. When you arrive at the facility, the address is an empty parking lot or nothing at all.

In the end you’re stuck and scrambling for a parking space while your flight time nears. Your money is gone, and the scammers have disappeared.
Here are some red flags to spot this:

The prices are extremely low. Too good to be true
There’s no proper physical address except for a P.O. box.
The website seems new (always check domain age).
There’s no phone number or other contact details present except for an email.
There’s no sign of the business on Google Maps.

The Unlicensed Lot Scam

This is how this scam operates: There’s a real lot; it exists. But it’s not a legitimate parking facility. Someone resents this lot and publishes an advertisement. You find it attractive and book it. You pay your money, and there’s no security or insurance. You park your car thinking it’s a legit parking business, while in reality the car just sits there exposed and vulnerable to theft or vandalism.
Here’s how to spot it.

There is no display of any business license.
There are zero measures of security.
The lot itself looks in dire condition as if it had been abandoned.
There are no staff present at the lot.
There are no signages or branded materials.

The Valet Scam

Valet scams operate like this: the scammers arrive and greet you. They pretend to be valets at the meet-and-greet parking service. You simply give them your keys, and they drive off with your car. You never see or hear from them again.
Here are the red flags to spot it.

They request you to meet them at random locations rather than established parking facilities.
They arrive in nonbranded uniforms or with no logos on their vehicles.
They are unable to tell you the exact address of the facility where your vehicle will be stored.
They pressure you to pay cash only.
They don’t ask for any documents such as insurance or license.

Credit Card Fraud Scam

A credit card scam works like this: There’s a fake website that exists only to steal information from your credit card. They will look like a legit business. They will confirm a book of yours that doesn’t exist. Their main goal is to loot your money and to use your credit card information for fraudulent use.

Here are some red flags to spot this kind of scam.

The website looks unprofessional and contains errors.
The payment page of the website does not use HTTPS/secure connection.
There is a requirement to fill out unnecessary information beyond normal payment details.
There is no recognized payment processor such as Stripe or PayPal, etc.
You get confirmation emails from a generic email address and not a business domain.

Red flags: