People booking holidays are being warned to watch out for scammers, amid concerns that cost-of-living pressures may push them towards taking more risks with their cash. Holiday fraudsters can lure people into paying by bank transfer using fake but convincing holiday adverts, bogus websites and phone calls.
Rising living costs generally may make people more vulnerable to scams as they search for less expensive deals. A quarter (25%) of people said they will not be able to afford a holiday if they cannot get a good deal, rising to 30% of 18 to 34-year-olds, according to a survey of 2,000 people across the UK carried out by Opinium in December.
One in six (16%) people said they would be willing to book impulsively as soon as they were offered a price, if it would mean potentially paying less. A similar proportion (15%) of people would risk paying directly via bank transfer if they thought it would save them money. One in 10 (10%) would purchase a holiday through a provider they were unfamiliar with, if it meant paying less.
Tony Neate, CEO at Get Safe Online, said: “As the cost of living rises, we want to help protect everyone’s hard-earned cash and urge people to stay alert when it comes to booking a holiday. Trust your instincts and remember: if a deal looks too good to be true, then it probably is.”
Amanda Cupples, general manager for the UK and Northern Europe at Airbnb, said: “This year, many of us may be eager to save some pennies when booking a holiday, making it an ideal time for scammers to take advantage of those looking to find a good deal.”
Tips from Get Safe Online include: never click on links you are not expecting; be wary of unusually cheap deals or high deposits; pay by credit card for added protections; check if the company is a member of Abta; and for flights, check Atol coverage. If someone believes they have been scammed they should tell their bank and the police.
