Scammers are offering Costa Ricans ‘cheap tours of Florida,’ Economy Ministry says

The Economy Ministry (MEIC) warned Friday of a telephone scam where an allegedly fraudulent travel agency is offering Costa Ricans a discounted trip to Florida.

A telemarketing company identified as “Millennium International” has been making phone calls in recent days to pitch the vacation, according to MEIC. The promotion consists of a round trip to Florida with tour stops in Miami and Orlando and a cruise in the Caribbean. Operators explain that the the trip would cost between $1,000 and $2,000 for four people. Then they ask the person for their credit card info, and proceed to charge the victim before disappearing.

MEIC’s Consumer Support Director Cynthia Zapata Calvo confirmed the company is not registered to do business in the country and that “according to information they obtained from different sources the alleged promotion is indeed a scam.”

Zapata asked people to abstain from giving any personal or financial information to unknown companies. Many of these scammers are located abroad, making it difficult for Costa Rican authorities to go after the culprits.

Last year MEIC filed 17 complaints with the Prosecutor’s Office against companies that promoted fake tourism promotions, MEIC reported.

UPDATE: On Millenium International’s Facebook page, a post attributed to the company’s CEO is claiming that his company is also being scammed. He asserts an ex-sales director took the company’s database and is behind the racket.