7 of the most devious hotel scams people fall for when booking a room

Hotel scams cost Americans nearly $4 billion a year.By booking directly with your hotel or by using a travel agent, you can avoid many of the worst scams out there.We asked experts to describe seven of the worst hotel scams customers fall for.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.Hundreds of new hotels pop up around the world each year.With so many choices, the risk of getting scammed has never been higher.According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, fraudulent bookings cost US consumers $3.9 billion a year. If you want to avoid contributing to that statistic, you should train yourself to recognize the hallmarks of the most devious hotel scams.While using a travel agent or booking directly with a hotel and reconfirming with a manager are the best ways to make sure you don't get taken advantage of, with some diligence you can ensure you get the room you wanted for the price you agreed on.Here are seven of the worst scams you might encounter when booking a hotel.