Protect yourself from holiday scammers

Holiday fraud happens when scammers trick people into paying money for trips or tickets that turn out not to exist. But if you follow these straightforward tips it will help you to spot this type of fraud, prevent yourself from falling victim to it, and report it to help others.

How to spot holiday fraud

Carry out these checks before parting with any money for a holiday or event.

• Check that the website is secure: On most internet browsers you will be able to see if a website is secure because there will be a closed lock icon in the search bar. The URL should also start ‘https’ where the S stands for ‘secure’. If a website isn’t secure, you will often be stopped and warned before proceeding to the website. However, be aware that this alone is not enough; the most sophisticated scammers are finding ways to create https sites, complete with the lock icon
• Check the terms & conditions: Every single website, whether it’s a travel agent or social media website, has terms and conditions. Be sure to find the T&C page and read through it. If there is no T&C page, if the T&C page is obviously not related to the product you are being sold, or if the content has been cut and pasted from somewhere else or contains spelling errors, then you are most likely not be on a legitimate website, and you should not purchase anything from it.
• Check the payment method: No company or travel agent will request you pay money into a private or personal bank account. If you’re being asked to do this, it is fraudulent, and you should never enter your bank details.
• Check reviews: A good way to check the legitimacy of a ticket vendor or travel agent is to read reviews about them online. This could either be by using Google Reviews or Trustpilot, which allows users to review a company and rate them for how trustworthy they are. Again though, be aware that it is possible to fake positive reviews. Good ways to spot these is a high number of ‘5 star’ reviews but not a lot of detail, or overwhelmingly positive reviews posted on the same day. Consumer champion Which has written an article on how to spot fake reviews.
• Check for contact details: In addition to having a legitimate-looking website, it’s important to see if there are contact details so you can get in touch if anything goes wrong. You could even try calling or emailing the seller with a question, to see how quickly they respond.
• Check that it’s not too good to be true: if you are being offered something that is dramatically better or cheaper than what is available elsewhere, be wary – doubly so if it is being advertised as a limited time offer.

How to prevent holiday fraud

• Never make a payment over the phone: A travel agent will never call you to request you make a payment over the phone. The only time this is legitimate is where you have called an official number provided by a verified travel agent to make a booking.
• If paying online, stay secure. You may be directed away from secure payment channels to ‘avoid missing a booking’ for example. Do not make a payment if you are being asked to pay via bank transfer or the payment pages do not look legitimate. If in doubt, stop.
• Do not click on any links advertising ‘too good to be true’ holiday offers. These may be phishing emails. When the link contained is clicked, you’re directed to a fake website designed to obtain your personal and financial information.

How to report holiday fraud

• Report the scam to Action Fraud, the reporting centre for fraud and cyber-crime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland:
  • Call 0300 123 2040 Monday to Friday 8am - 8pm
  • Use the Action Fraud online reporting tool
• If you live in Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101
• If you have given your bank details to the scammers, contact us immediately
• If your money has been stolen as the result of a scam, you can also report it to the police by calling 101