Booked a 'budget' airport shuttle in Denver and it was a total scam

I was flying into Denver for a weekend trip and saw an ad online for a shuttle to downtown for only $15. Sounded perfect, right? I booked it, paid upfront, and waited at the spot they gave me. After 45 minutes of nothing, I called the number and it was disconnected. I checked the website again and the whole thing was gone. Lost the $15 and had to pay $40 for a real cab anyway. The worst part was wasting over an hour standing around when I could have been exploring. It looked legit with a real looking site and everything. Has anyone else run into these fake transport deals in a new city? What's the best way to spot them before you get ripped off?

3 comments

3 Comments

john_fisher1mo ago

Honestly, the worst part is how they get you with the legit looking site. I always do a reverse image search on their photos now. If you see the same shuttle picture on five different company websites, it's a huge red flag. Also, check if their contact number has a real local area code, not just a generic VoIP one.

paulw531mo ago

But come on, is it really that big of a deal for most things? Most people are just trying to book a simple shuttle ride. They aren't buying a house. If the price is right and the van shows up, who cares about a stock photo. Feels like overkill for a basic service.

rowanhernandez1mo ago

The local area code check is smart but not foolproof. Scammers can easily get a Denver number through an app. A better sign is if the website has no physical address listed or the address is clearly fake, like a random shopping center. I also look for recent reviews on multiple sites, not just the ones they link to. If a company only has perfect five star reviews from last week, that's a setup. Real businesses have a mix of feedback over time.