The conviction and sentencing of a travel scam artist is bringing some much needed attention to scams targeting travelers.

Mitchell Chirchick is headed to prison, but his victims are still out thousands of dollars. Prosecutors said Chirchick and his company, CEI Sports, collected about $350,000 from victims across the country last year, but never delivered on promised travel packages to the Pro Bowl in Honolulu. Chirchick was sentenced to at least eight years behind bars, but that's after he serves time in federal prison for mail fraud.

A travel agent from Greenville has some advice. "You need to probably call the Better Business Bureau and the chamber of commerce in the town the company is in,," Richard Rados said. "Make sure they have a street address instead of a post office box."

Rados also has that familiar advice, "If it's too good to be true, it probably is."