Alliance members — such as Northwest Airlines, Marriott, Starwood Hotels and InterContinental Hotels — have found various Web sites deceptively claiming to be affiliated with them.

In some cases the scad sites had misinformation (claiming no room availability when, in fact, there was). In other instances, they quoted room prices that were much higher than the actual rates. In the most extreme cases, they sold hotel accommodations, and when the customers arrived at the hotels, there were no records of the transactions.

Jarrod Agen, the spokesman for Alliance Against Bait & Click, provided some tips to help keep your holiday travel bookings scam-free:

- Take a close look before you click. “Look at the headline first, then the text, and then the URL. Make sure that they’re all in line with what you’re searching for. If the headline and text is for Marriott but URL is totally different don’t use it.”

- If you find yourself on a site you don’t trust, leave quickly. “These sites can open you up to Spyware, viruses or fraud.”

- If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. “This season, holiday deals will be better than they have been for a long time, so that makes it easier for scammers to get away with the deals.”

- Check in with the company. “It’s always a good idea to verify the deal with the hotel or airline.”