You can get pretty much anything on the Internet, but as many holiday makers found out last year you can also get stung! Holiday scams are on the increase and the BBC reports that based on figures from Action Fraud, these scams amounted to £2.2 million last year! It’s not just foreign holidays either, several scams have involved caravan holidays and cottages in the UK and holiday makers are being urged to be extra vigilant.
The travel association ABTA, and the police have warned people to take extra care when booking a break this year and there are plenty of ways to protect yourself against unscrupulous conmen.
Many of the victims have gone as far as to arrive at their holiday destination to then find someone else there, as the holiday was never booked and with many victims paying via bank transfer there’s often no way to get the money back. By ensuring you pay by debit or credit card you do at least have some recourse and this can often be the best way to protect yourself. And of course the old adage is always true, if something seems to be too good to be true then it probably is!
It’s not just holidaymakers who are affected either, often cottage owners and caravan owners can be affected as they are thought to be responsible for the scam, when actually the scam artists have picked a holiday destination they neither own nor have responsibility for.
If you are tempted by a cheap online break, on Facebook or somewhere similar make sure that you can verify the seller, use your debit or credit card and just exercise common sense when booking your summer deal.
Source: bbc.co.uk
By: Kath Cross
