Description

I was trying to call Expedia because my trip did not go through, but it was attempting to charge me. (This was the legitimate Travelocity.com by Expedia website.) I struggled to find their customer service number, so I searched for it on Google using my phone.

During my search, I clicked on a link that displayed a large Expedia-branded screen with the Expedia logo, the phone number 888-390-8589, and messages such as "Click to Call Our Expert Agent" and "24/7 Reservation Support." The page also had several blue links that appeared legitimate. Worried about being charged by Expedia, I quickly clicked the link without verifying its authenticity.

A man answered the phone and immediately found the exact flight and hotel package I was searching for, matching the price and description displayed on Travelocity.com. He asked for my booking details and then sent me an email that appeared to come from Expedia. The email contained the Expedia logo and stated:

"Hi, Your secure code expires in 15 minutes: [code].
Do not share this code or forward this email to anyone else.
If you didn’t make this request, you can ignore this email."

I provided the man with the code, and he confirmed it. He then proceeded with booking my trip and reviewing my previous Expedia reservation, which had not gone through. He rebooked my exact flight and hotel package and even offered me a discount for my troubles.

Next, he sent me a link to join the Expedia rewards program, which did redirect me to Expedia.com. Shortly after, I received an email containing my reservation details, including flight, hotel, dates, times, and an itinerary number. However, the email was sent from airtravelpad, not Expedia.

He told me that I could enter the itinerary number on Expedia.com, but it would take some time to process and appear in the system. However, when I checked later, my booking did not show up on Expedia.

I tried calling the number back, but the call kept disconnecting. Eventually, I contacted an actual Expedia customer service agent via their online chat. I asked her to verify whether the people I had spoken with were part of Expedia. She repeatedly told me not to worry but offered no help. She also could not find any record of my booking, either from this transaction or my previous attempt. She stated that charges sometimes occur on Expedia even when bookings fail, and I should receive a refund to my card within 7-10 days.

I pressed her to confirm whether the people I spoke with were scammers and asked to report the fraud. She refused to collect any information about the scam. I provided the details anyway and asked to speak with someone else, but she refused to escalate my request. (This was an official Expedia customer service representative.)

The next morning, I checked Expedia again, and my booking still did not appear. I tried calling the number from the people I now believed were scammers, but the call kept disconnecting. Eventually, I reached someone and asked for a refund. She claimed I had never been charged. I informed her that my credit card statement showed a charge from them. She told me to check again.

I insisted on a refund and explained that I had already reported them as a scam since they repeatedly hung up on me and my reservation never appeared. I told her that if I received a refund, I would cancel the fraud report; otherwise, I would continue pursuing the claim. She then hung up on me.

My booking information never appeared, and I never received a refund.