Staying at a Navy Lodge or a similar property can offer convenience and savings for your next vacation, or can ease your next military move.

Booking that stay through a fraudulent website can lead to financial disaster.

Navy officials are “aware of a potential fraud scam targeting patrons seeing to make reservations” at Navy facilities, according to a social media post from Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy. Scammers publish phony booking phone numbers or websites that end up in web listings or social media posts, then collect credit card numbers and other personal information when prospective travelers attempt to reserve their rooms.

Scam specifics weren’t immediately available. The fraud had been reported to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), a Navy spokesperson told Stars and Stripes, and a banner atop the official Department of Defense Lodging website warns travelers to “be cautious of toll-free and local phone numbers found elsewhere.”

Travelers can book online using the above site, or can book their stays via phone:

• Navy Lodge: 1-877-NAVY-BED (628-9233)
• Navy Inn/Navy Gateway Inns and Suites: 1-833-NHGSERV (644-7378)
• Army Lodging: 1-800-GO-ARMY-1 (462-7691)
• Air Force Inns: 1-888-AF-LODGE (235-6343), continental U.S. only
• Inns of the Corps/Marine Lodge: 1-888-409-STAY (409-7829)

[RELATED: MOAA’s Scam Prevention Resources]

Whether your holiday travel includes the above properties or other arrangements, keep these tips in mind:

1. Check Your Listings: Scammers frequently deploy websites that resemble popular online listings or even hotel-chain pages, right down to the logos and a “call now” button that will connect you to the scammer. Double-check the weblink before you book.

2. ‘Free’ Isn’t Free: Whether it’s a postcard offering a complimentary stay or an email declaring you a contest winner (in a contest you never entered), vacation giveaways often serve as entry points to financial problems. Some may be simple scams designed to steal personal data, while others offer “free” trips that include taxes, fees, booking charges, and enough other costs to more than make up for any savings.

[RELATED: Scammers Present ‘Persistent Threat’ to Servicemembers and Veterans, Expert Warns]

3. Do Your Research: Check more than one source to be sure you’re booking safely. Search the address of any vacation rental (to be sure the photos match the property), read online reviews, and steer clear of any offers that don’t include specifics (names of hotels or airlines, for example).

4. Start the Conversation: Did you get a robo-call offering a great deal or a random email linking to a booking site? These are common ways to kick off a scam – book your plans via trusted sites or directly with providers instead of unsolicited third-party offerings.

5. Remember the Basics: Red flags for other scam types can pop up in travel fraud, such as a demand to pay for your trip in gift cards or cryptocurrency, or a push to “act fast” before a given deal expires. Learn more about these standard fraud practices at MOAA.org/scams.