Holiday Scam - Fraud/Scam Types

What is a Holiday Scam

You can find great holiday deals online. But the last thing you want is for it to turn into a nightmare.

Sites like Airbnb and Facebook may offer some great places to rent. But fraudsters can use these sites to trick you into booking rentals that don’t exist.

How to spot a Holiday Scam

Incredibly cheap online deals are offered.

They will ask you to pay via bank transfers or outside the official website for the listing.

There are bad reviews from other people about the listing.

Websites may look like that of genuine organisations but subtle changes in the URL can indicate that it’s fraudulent.

Incredibly cheap online deals are offered.

They will ask you to pay via bank transfers or outside the official website for the listing.

There are bad reviews from other people about the listing.

Websites may look like that of genuine organisations but subtle changes in the URL can indicate that it’s fraudulent.

How you can prevent a Holiday Scam

Check site authenticity

Check that the site is genuine and book with a trusted company. When you visit a site, make sure the pages look right. If the colours and logo look different in any ways, it may be a fake site. Fake sites often spell words differently to trick you into thinking you’re on a well-known website. So check how a site spell things like the site address.

Take your time to consider

Take your time to make sure an offer is genuine before you choose to buy. If the price is a lot lower than other companies, it might be a scam.

Check message authenticity

Make sure your messages are genuine because fraudsters can send an offer by email or text pretending to be from a real company. The message may want you to click on a link but it can lead to a fake website, or put a virus on your device.

Choose a safe way to pay

The safest way to pay for a holiday is by using your debit or credit card. If a site or company wants you to pay in other ways, such as direct to a bank account or by wire transfer, it can be a scam. If you pay this way and things go wrong, you may not get your money back.

Check site authenticity

Check that the site is genuine and book with a trusted company. When you visit a site, make sure the pages look right. If the colours and logo look different in any ways, it may be a fake site. Fake sites often spell words differently to trick you into thinking you’re on a well-known website. So check how a site spell things like the site address.

Take your time to consider

Take your time to make sure an offer is genuine before you choose to buy. If the price is a lot lower than other companies, it might be a scam.

Check message authenticity

Make sure your messages are genuine because fraudsters can send an offer by email or text pretending to be from a real company. The message may want you to click on a link but it can lead to a fake website, or put a virus on your device.

Choose a safe way to pay

The safest way to pay for a holiday is by using your debit or credit card. If a site or company wants you to pay in other ways, such as direct to a bank account or by wire transfer, it can be a scam. If you pay this way and things go wrong, you may not get your money back.

Scenario of a Holiday Scam

You saw a luxury villa available for booking at discounted prices. Upon getting in contact with the agent, you were required to make a deposit to confirm the booking.

Contact Us

Contact Us immediately if you believe your banking information is compromised or there has been an unauthorised transaction on your account.