HARRISBURG, Pa. — Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane yesterday warned consumers planning spring and summer vacations to be wary of travel-related scams.

“Con artists frequently adjust their methods and find new ways to victimize consumers,” Kane said. “Recognizing these common travel scams should help travelers avoid any hassles.”

Attorney General Kane said travel scams come in many forms. Some of the most common are listed below.

Travel Promotions

Solicitations are usually mailed to consumers with the promise of a vacation “prize.” Prize recipients are encouraged to attend a meeting or sales presentation before collecting their reward.

The presentation usually involves a high-pressure sales pitch where consumers are promised deep discounts on travel in exchange for membership fees. In many instances, these fees are significant, totaling thousands of dollars.

Pizza Scam

One of the newer scams targeting travelers is often called the “Pizza Scam” because pizza delivery menus, conveniently slipped under a hotel room door, often contain a telephone number that is not connected to a pizza parlor, but rather to identity thieves. The Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection recommends that any time consumers order take-out from a hotel room they check with the concierge or front desk for a list of suggestions.

Timeshare Re-sales:

Timeshare scammers prey on would-be sellers with promises that they have buyers ready to purchase their timeshare. The scammers require the seller to pay up-front fees such as maintenance or service fees often through a wire transfer. Once the money is wired, the company disappears and the consumers are unable to recoup their money.

In addition to these warnings, Attorney General Kane cautioned consumers to use care when accessing free Wi-Fi hotspots when traveling or near home. Scammers can give Wi-Fi hotspots a similar or identical name to a hotel or coffee shop’s actual hotspot and wait for people to log on. Scammers can then steal bank account numbers or other sensitive information.

In addition, consumers are advised to never give out credit card information over the phone. If the phone in your hotel room rings in the middle of the night and the caller claims to be from the front desk asking you to verify your information because of a computer glitch, hang up and contact the front desk directly.

Consumers who believe that they may have been a victim of travel or other related scams are encouraged to file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection by calling 1-800-441-2555 or visiting www.attorneygeneral.gov.