BBB warns of travel scam

The Better Business Bureau of Southwest Missouri has received reports from consumers of recent mailings indicating they have won free travel from American Airlines, courtesy of US Airlines.

The Council of Better Business Bureaus first wrote about the US Airlines scam in a July blog post, but southwest Missouri has only begun seeing this scam during the holiday season, according to Judy Mills, president and CEO of the BBB of Southwest Missouri.

"During the holidays, scams multiply," Mills said. "Everyone is looking for cash, and scam artists are no exception. We felt it was important to send out the warning for this particular offer since it has been around for a while but is just now showing up in our area."

According to the Council of Better Business Bureaus, US Airlines is not a real company. They stated that offer letters from this company are not from American Airlines, and no actual tickets have been won.

According to the BBB, these false letters asking consumers to respond by a specific date, promising to award two roundtrip airline tickets with a value of up to $1,298, good at any continental U.S. airport. If customers do not respond promptly, their offer may be given to an alternate, the letter warns.

The BBB urges consumers not to take action on these letters or pay additional fees and taxes for the supposed free tickets.