How do I avoid a charter booking scam?
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What do booking scams look like?
- Payment by gift card, wire transfer, crypto or a payment app "only", or a demand to pay before you can talk to anyone.
- A page or social account that copies a real charter's name and photos with a different phone number.
- A deal well below what other captains at that port post, with pressure to pay today.
- A request for a verification code sent to your phone. Never share one.
How do I check that the captain is real?
- Search the business name and the phone number on our captain search. In Ohio, a match on ODNR's public list gives you a number that ODNR published, not one a stranger typed.
- Call that number yourself rather than one from a message or ad.
- In Pennsylvania, check PFBC's own permitted list.
- On the dock, ask to see the guide license or permit and the Coast Guard credential.
Ohio's list includes only guides who chose to be listed, so a real captain may not be on it. Then ask for the license.
How should I pay a deposit?
Ask for the deposit terms in writing (amount, due date, when it's refundable) and pay with something that leaves a record, like a card or PayPal. LakeErie.biz never takes deposits or payments for trips; if someone says they're collecting a deposit for us, it's a scam.
How do I spot a look-alike page?
Check the web address, not just the logo. A captain's page on LakeErie.biz always lives at lakeerie.biz/c/…, its Call button dials the number on the page, and we never message you about bookings.
What do I do if I've been scammed?
Contact your card issuer or PayPal right away to dispute the payment, keep the messages and receipts, and report the listing with "Report this listing" on its page.
Questions
Should I pay a charter deposit by gift card?
No. Gift cards, wire transfers and crypto are hard to trace or reverse. Pay with a card or PayPal and get the terms in writing.
How can I tell if a charter captain is real?
Search their name and phone on Ohio's public list or PFBC's report, call the number yourself, and ask to see the license and Coast Guard credential.
Does LakeErie.biz take bookings or deposits?
No. We never take bookings, deposits or payments for trips.