Holiday fraud is on the increase as people use holiday booking websites more and more.
Scammers will list a hotel room or accommodation that isn’t available or doesn’t exist. Often victims only realise it’s a scam when they arrive at their destination, by which time the fraudster is long gone.

What you should know:
Scammers may want you to pay them by direct bank transfer, not through the website. They entice you to do this by offering discounts for bank transfer payments. Don’t be tempted.

A scammer will often use photos of accommodation copied from other sites. Use Google images to check where else an image has been used.
The scammer, or their advert, may claim that they belong to a legitimate trade body or consumer protection scheme, such as the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) Contact the body or scheme to check the person’s credentials.

Research the property yourself. See if it has its own website. Always try to call the owner of the property to confirm they know about your potential booking. If you can’t see a phone number, send an email asking for it.

For more information visit ABTA's https://www.abta.com/?utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery