Missouri consumer writes:

I am wanting to book a cruise online with a company that only accepts a Western Union transfer. When I checked the Florida BBB there was no record of a complaint. This company is a member of EUCERTONLINE.ORG which I never heard of. Can you help me? The cruise is for 8 days with free airfare $310.00.

This is in response to our recent post on the danger of wire transfers. We had a post on this several months ago as well. While this may be a legitimate offer, here are the reasons it sounds suspicious:

• They only accept payment by wire transfer. The safest way to pay is by credit card. That way, and only that way, federal law protects you from unauthorized charges and ripoffs. This does not apply to debit cards or any other form of payment.
• $310 for this whole package sounds awfully cheap. Beware of offers that sound too good to be true.
• You would be dealing with a company you've never heard of. One of our major pieces of consumer advice is deal with companies that are known or recommended to you by someone you trust. See pages 18-19 of AG Nixon's Know Your Rights (PDF) publication for our four major consumer rules.