Holiday scams soar as Britons rush to book summer getaway

Britons should take extra care when booking their summer getaways as new figures show an increase in online holiday scam, with travellers being cheated out of thousands of pounds by fake flight and hotel adverts.

In the year to March 2022, the number of holiday-related scam increased by a third. The fraud relating to flight bookings was higher than in the previous year, with the victims losing an average of $3,000.

There was an 18% increase in the number of hotels being linked to scam. The average loss from package holiday fraud was 2,300.

The number of cases more than doubled due to the scam linked to caravan stays. The average amount lost in each case was much lower.

The epidemic of holiday booking fraud is the latest development in what has been described as a national epidemic. The end of Covid travel rules has led to a rush to book holidays, but Liz Ziegler, the fraud prevention director of theLloyds Banking Group, said consumers should not let their guard down. It almost certainly is if it looks too good to be true.

Many of the scam started with fake ads on search engines or social media, with victims clicking on a link that looked to take them to a genuine site. Fraudsters used real accommodation listing sites to trick victims into transferring cash directly rather than via the platform. The report said that other tactics include pretending to be a real company and sending offers by email or text.

If there is a last-minute surge in bookings, scammers are ready to cash in.

Abta or Atol protection is offered by some holiday firms. The safest way to pay for a holiday is with a credit or debit card. It will be harder for you to get your money back if a site or company wants you to pay by direct to a bank account or wire transfer.