Holiday fraudsters conned UK consumers out of more than £15m last year – twice as much as the year before – according to the UK’s scam reporting centre.
Action Fraud said there had been a surge in the number of people being conned into paying for fake flights and accommodation bookings as more people sought cheaper holidays, partly as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.
The reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime – which has launched a national awareness campaign hoping people “don’t get burnt before they are on the beach” – said the average loss per victim last year was £2,372.
The figures chime with the experiences of readers who have contacted the Guardian and a similar surge this time a year ago. Fraudsters struggling to overcome bank security have looked to move into other areas and have found fake online accommodation listings to be fertile ground.
In March, Guardian Money featured the case of a Londoner who was scammed out of £6,500 after booking a Greek holiday villa she found on the Vrbo website. The listing turned out to be fake, but this emerged only after she had sent the money as a bank transfer. Although Vrbo later repaid her, most victims of such scams never see their cash again.
Action Fraud said almost half (44%) of the holiday fraud reports it received last year came from people aged in their 20s or 40s.
Pauline Smith, the anti-fraud body’s head, said: “With summer only just around the corner, we enter a period where fraudsters ramp up efforts to catch out unsuspecting members of the public. Scammers prey on people wanting to find a good deal online – whether that’s cheap flights, great hotels close to the beach at discounted rates or package holidays that undercut well-known travel operators and brands.
“When booking a holiday here or abroad, it’s important to do your research before handing over any money and to double-check any website. We encourage people to stop, check and research before paying. If it sounds too good to be true, it most definitely is.”
She said the most frequent frauds involved cloning the websites of price comparison companies, holiday providers and airlines, duping victims into believing they were entering payment details on genuine sites.
Fake confirmation emails are often sent, meaning some victims only realise what has happened when they attempt to check in for their flight at the airport and are told no booking has been made in their name. Others have found themselves standing outside villas, suitcases in hand, only to be told by the legitimate owner that their booking was a scam.
