Holiday Scammers
- Scammers will list a hotel room or accommodation that isn’t available or doesn’t exist.
- Often victims only realise it’s a scam when they arrive at the advertised accommodation, by which time the fraudster is long gone.
- Sometimes they don’t leave enough details to trace them.
- Website address may be copies of known or popular holiday providers etc.
While we are not suggesting all holiday booking websites are scams websites but please be aware of the followings:
- Scammers may want you to pay them by direct bank transfer, not through the website.
- They may entice you to do this by offering discounts for bank transfer payments. Please don’t be tempted.
- A scammer will often use photos of accommodation copied from other sites.
- Use Google Images to check where else an image has been used.
- The scammer, or their advert, may claim that they belong to a legitimate trade body or consumer protection scheme, such as the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA). Contact the body or scheme providers to check the person’s credentials.
- Make thorough check of the property yourself.
- Verify it has its own website.
- Always try to call the operator of the property to confirm they know about your potential booking. If you can’t see a phone number, send an email asking for it.
Even, if email address is given try to verify the authenticity of the email subscriber.
As well as the best source for scams information is the National Trading Standards Scam team – https://www.nationaltradingstandards.uk/