Fake Holiday Listing Scams On The Rise: Here’s How To Spot Them

Those looking to book a last-minute holiday this year – whether in the UK or further afield – are being urged to be wary of fake holiday listings.

According to Trading Standards Scotland, there were “a significant number” of consumer issues with holiday bookings reported last year, including fake accommodation listings being shared on social media.

Skipton Building Society said these scams are “especially common” for UK caravan holidays.

Some scammers create fake social media accounts and websites to advertise holiday properties that don’t exist or have already been booked.

Payment service provider emerchantpay also recently commissioned research which found a third of travellers had witnessed a rise in potential travel scams on social media.

Some fraudsters will also promote flights, tickets or tours that aren’t real – often at a discounted price.

One scam saw fake adverts shared on social media promoting caravan breaks at a holiday park in Ayrshire.

Trading Standards Scotland said a woman had paid £250 for a four-night break at the park, only to discover on arrival that the caravan was not owned by the person advertising it.

Another company offering glamping holidays also noticed that some of its accommodation, which was fully booked, was being advertised on fake social media accounts. The adverts contained links to a scam website with a similar URL and appearance as the glamping company.

Lisa Webb, a consumer law expert at Which?, said the statistics are “sadly unsurprising”.

She said while the onus should not fall on consumers, as social media firms should be doing more to tackle the issue, there are ways to try and avoid being duped by fake holiday listings.

• Using a reverse image search to check for stolen images,
• Checking the property’s location on an online map to see that it exists,
• Booking through official, trusted channels,
• Avoiding paying by bank transfer for anything advertised on social media.

Skipton Building Society urges consumers to check that websites have a padlock symbol before ‘https’ or ‘www’ in web browsers before booking, and to use a credit card for payments. “Never pay directly into an individual’s bank account,” the money experts add.

Lisa Webb ended: “If you think you have lost money to a holiday booking scam, contact your bank immediately and report it to Report Fraud or Police Scotland.”