With summer holidays fast approaching, individuals are often more exposed to travel booking frauds when looking for last minute package deals / cheap flights. Whether paying upfront for a family holiday or simply booking a flight, payments are transferred only to discover that the holiday / airline ticket does not exist and was sold to you by a bogus travel company. Fraudsters will often lure in potential customers with low prices and ‘one time only’ offers that are simply too good to pass up, requesting payment by the preferred method of direct bank transfer.
Avoid
Paying for a holiday / airline tickets / accommodation via direct bank transfer. No reputable company will ever request payment via this method.
Responding to unsolicited calls, texts or emails offering holidays at incredibly low prices.
Protect Yourself
- Whenever possible, pay for your holiday by credit card as it offers increased protection.
- Always remember to look for the ‘https’ and locked padlock icon in the address bar before entering your payment details.
- Never feel pressured to make a booking for fear that you will miss out on this ‘low price’ opportunity. If you have never used the company before, take your time to do some online research to ensure they are reputable.
- Should you make a flight or hotel booking through a travel company, feel free to separately check with the hotel / particular airline that your booking does indeed exist.
If you have been affected by this, or any other scam, report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040, or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk