7 On Your Side: Summer scams to be aware of

NEW YORK (WABC) -- ID thieves have been busy. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, stolen id crimes are up nearly 19 percent with 10 million Americans report being victimized.

Picture this, you're in your hotel room, the phone rings, the caller says it's the front desk, they need to verify your credit card number again, hang up! This is successful scam targeting travelers and we're learning about a number of popular summer scams that could burn you.

You may be tempted to take up an offer for a free cruise just don't be fooled into thinking there's no strings attached.

"There has to be a hidden expense here somewhere, if it is even real," said Adam Levin.

Levin of Identity Theft 911 says never respond to offers of free vacations with any credit card or personal information even if you check the website and it looks legit.

"The thing about hackers is that they have gotten so good at their craft. no longer are you going to find typos, spelling mistakes or font that is different, these are professionals," he adds.

Another professional and popular summertime scam? The fake vacation rental.

"Thought it was a steal for the price he was giving us and what we saw," said Tyler Cox.

Cox and his friends got burned by a bogus beach house. A scammer living in a Florida homeless shelter, stole photos online of this Long Beach Island condo which wasn't even for rent, convinced them he was the owner, and made off with a hefty security deposit.

"You need to check n Google maps once you see an address that it is not a vacant lot or an office building. Then you need to do your research, go to check your landlord and be very way of people who are offering property for rent who only want to communicate by e-mail," adds Levin.

It's also a good idea to check the address with a local realtor and use a licensed broker.

For concert tickets, stick with a reputable ticket source.

Summer's a great time to catch a concert, just be careful where you buy your tickets, sites like Craiglist give buyers no protection, stick to reputable sites.

Summer is also a big season for home improvements, and scams that go with them, NJ Consumer affairs announced this week it cited 68 contractors for violations seeking more than $1 million in restitution for consumers who paid for work that allegedly was never finished.