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Airlines Cracking Down On Phony Service Dogs


Because of the ever-increasing crowding at boarding time, many passengers show up with four-legged companions. According to airline info, most of them are not certified service dogs. It’s a cheater’s way of boarding before anyone else, to get first divs on overhead space above their seats.

Many of the phony service dog owners are seniors, and with a bit of acting and a fancy dog vest, they manage to get aboard ahead of everyone else. They may deserve an Academy Award for acting, but not early seating.

Airlines have had enough of the scam and are fighting the abusers by requiring written proof of the dogs’ qualifications. Therefore, if you honestly need to board your flight with your faithful service dog, be prepared. When at the check-in desk, you must show written proof both from your physician and appropriate service dog organization. Otherwise, it’s back in line for you and Fido.

Traveling Seniors: Prime Targets For Phone Scammers PDF Print E-mail


When you get that unsolicited phone call that declares you’ve just won a free cruise or tropical vacation, hang up pronto. Scammers, who are phony talkers holed up in phone centers in Europe, Asia or Africa, deliberately target seniors as easiest to scam.

If you respond to the cheery greeting, the next step is to get you to give personal info. A red flag should go up when the voice asks for your credit card and/or bank number information. The explanation is that they’re necessary to process your ticketing. If you respond to that, expect your bank accounts to be raided electronically within minutes.

As internet and instant electronic processing get more sophisticated, so do online thieves. Therefore, never respond to unsolicited phone calls that offer free trips or other phony come-ons. The safest way to plan your travel is to do all reservations and money transactions with a trusted hometown travel agency.

 
 
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