The ads for summer 2024 holidays have crept onto our socials and online already. But buyer beware! Scammers will try to take advantage of our desire to get away and catch people out with fake offers and deals. Let’s take a look at how we can combat scams.
As the summer holidays come to a close, you may be thinking of booking for next year already. It's often cheaper to take advantage of an early booking, and it gives people something to look forward to.
Online adverts and social promotions may catch your eye with their idyllic illustrations of beautiful white sandy beaches, sublime sunsets, adrenaline-filled adventures and perfect poolside poses, like the one above perhaps!
But before you're lured in by that bikini-clad woman and buff bloke walking hand-in-hand on the beach, and begin to click on all those lovely-looking ads, there are some things you should know, and signs to look out for, because holiday fraud and ruthless scammers are out there to turn your dream holiday into a nightmare!
Here are some simple but important steps you can take to avoid holiday fraud.
Scammers create realistic travel websites and listings with fake holiday offers. They may contact you directly by email, text or phone call. They’ll try and trick you into:
Be vigilant when paying for your holiday and only use the payment options shown on the company’s official website. Always book with a company you’ve researched and never open links in unexpected emails and texts. If something looks too good to be true, it usually is.
Scammers can make websites that mimic real ones and sell fake tickets at seemingly bargain prices. It can be tempting, especially if the ones you want are very expensive or have sold out.
You could pay and - either don’t get a ticket - or you get a fake one that will be refused when you try to use it at the event.
Always do your research and check a provider is genuine before buying. Check the URL of a website for special characters, numbers or foreign characters in place of letters. Some scams really are clever in how they can mimic a website simply by using a different character in the URL, which is sometimes very hard to notice.
Be wary if someone offers to pay you to help them move money. If money goes in and out of your account from illegal activity, you’re a ‘money mule’ and that’s a crime. Never help anyone move money or give them access to your account.
Criminals sneak malicious software, or ‘malware’, onto your devices to steal information like passwords and payment details. They hide it in emails and apps so you don’t realise you’re downloading it.
To avoid getting malware:
For a full list of tips to avoid becoming a victim of fraud, please visit https://www.atol.org/about-atol/how-to-check-for-protection/ or https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/planning-and-booking-a-holiday/how-avoid-travel-related-fraud.
If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040, or call Police Scotland on 101.
For further reading on holiday fraud, check out our other blogs.
Reporting
Report all Fraud and Cybercrime to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or online. Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. Report SMS scams by forwarding the original message to 7726 (spells SPAM on the keypad).
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