Scammers Pretending To Be Expedia Customer Service Reps Ripping Off Travelers

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Instead of going on a trip, some customers searching for the popular travel booking site Expedia are being taken for a ride.

According to the Better Business Bureau, if you search online for "Expedia," a phone number that comes up in the results may be a fake, connecting you with a scammer instead of a customer service rep.

Victims from at least 17 states say during their calls with the fake Expedia call center, they were taken for thousands of dollars.

"These impostor Expedia customer service reps say, 'Hey, our website's down right now. We actually need you to get a Green Dot money card,' and you know where this is going, or a gift card and pay that way," David Quinlan, vice president of the BBB, said.

The gift cards work like cash and are nearly impossible to trace.

If someone says you must pay for a service using one of these cards, hang up the phone.