Millions of us are making up for lost sunshine, and taking extra trips to compensate for the dark days of lockdown during the pandemic. Unfortunately, villains know we are desperate to travel – and that finances are tight. The number of online scams appears to be at an all-time high, targeting people who cannot afford to lose a small fortune.
Any travel purchase of transport and/or accommodation is an act of faith, because you usually pay a substantial sum of money upfront and don’t take delivery until you turn up and, hopefully, get the flights and/or villa you were hoping for.
If you go to your local travel agent and buy a holiday, the overwhelming odds are that it will be a genuine and problem-free transaction. But if you are booking online, you are vulnerable to fraudsters. Be wary of these seven signs to ensure you are not going to be left thousands of pounds out of pocket, with no holiday.
1. Are prices way out of line?
A favourite hunting ground for fraudsters in search of unwitting victims is to offer ultra-cheap airline tickets. While many online agents will assert they have the best fare, prices for a particular flight are usually in a fairly narrow band. A check on Skyscanner.net can give you a good idea of the ball-park figure. If an agent is selling well below the norm, be wary – especially if the company tells you it has access to “secret fares”.
2. Do they make onerous demands?
Scamsters aren’t simply interested in stealing your money. They also want your identity. A genuine business will not ask for a scan of your passport or driving licence, unless there are good and specific reasons that you can verify (e.g. a local law insisting on identity checks for propective guest).
3. Are the address and phone number disconnected, geographically?
A genuine site should make it easy to find both the address and phone number. If the firm appears to be based in west Cornwall (code 01736) but has a dialling code in northern Scotland (01955), for example, you should ask why. If the number is foreign, be especially circumspect.
If a business says it is a member of Abta, the travel association, then use the very straightforward checking system to confirm its membership status – ring the landline shown on the Abta website to ensure that you are dealing with that company.
Many scam sites have no telephone number, but may have an…
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