BBC Morning Live Expert Issues Urgent Warning for Holidaymakers Booking in May
A consumer expert on BBC Morning Live has issued a stark warning to anyone planning to book a holiday online in the coming weeks. The warning comes after a viewer lost nearly £4,000 to a fraudulent travel company that promised flights that never materialized.
Presenters Gethin Jones and Holly Hamilton highlighted the case of a woman who wished to remain anonymous but wanted her experience to serve as a cautionary tale for others. According to Holly, the woman was promised a holiday that never actually existed.
The victim, whose story was reenacted using a BBC team member, explained that she was searching for flights to Bangkok with her daughter. After using mainstream comparison websites, she noticed her social media feeds became flooded with adverts for cheap deals. Tempted by a 50% discount offer from what appeared to be a legitimate website, she entered her details and later received a phone call.
Scam Interceptors expert Nick Stapleton noted that it is difficult to pinpoint exactly where she went wrong, as her actions were entirely normal. He explained that phones and social media apps track online searches, so after looking up flights, users often see related ads on social media. Since scam ads are common on these platforms, the algorithm likely targeted her based on her recent searches.
During the phone call, the scammer talked her through an itinerary and quoted a final price of around £1,200 for two return flights from London to Bangkok. She agreed and provided her card details. However, the scammer claimed the payment had not gone through and asked her to try again—twice more. After the third attempt, she checked her account and discovered that nearly £3,800 had been taken. She had not booked anything.
Nick Stapleton examined a confirmation email the victim received, which appeared genuine but was completely fake. Even he admitted it looked legitimate at first glance. Emirates confirmed the email did not come from them.
The victim initially thought the multiple charges were a mistake and was reassured by the scammer that the extra amounts would be refunded. However, when a fourth request for £1,500 appeared on her banking app while she was still on the phone, she realized something was wrong. The scammer claimed this payment was necessary to trigger the refund, which Nick stressed is a lie—legitimate companies never ask customers to pay to receive a refund.
Because the victim used an overseas bank account, recovering the money may be more difficult than if she had used a UK bank. Her bank has blocked the company that took the money, and she has reported the scam to the police.
Nick urged people to be diligent and avoid clicking on ads on social media. He advised using price comparison websites as a baseline and warned that any offer 50% cheaper than those found on comparison sites is almost certainly a scam. While some deals may be slightly better elsewhere, a 50% discount is far too good to be true.
Sadly, the woman has not yet received her money back, but Nick hopes to follow up and achieve a positive outcome.
