UK travellers warned of holiday scams exploiting passport delays

Chartered Trading Standards Institute has issued guidance on how to safely book breaks

A general view of Platja Nova Icarie beach in Barcelona, as holidaymakers have been warned to look out for fraudsters advertising bogus travel deals and exploiting passport delays. The Chartered TradiShow more

Fraudsters are advertising bogus travel deals and exploiting passport delays, prompting warnings from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute.

The organisation has warned that scammers were using increasingly sophisticated and convincing methods to trick travellers into paying for non-existent holidays and services.

Tactics include using “entirely fabricated” social media advertisements featuring attractive pictures of holiday cottages and hotels accompanied by “too good to be true” prices.

By the time holidaymakers realise the pictures and prices were fake, scammers have taken their money and disappeared, the institute warned.

In many cases, scammers told their victims to pay by cash, by bank transfer or through services such as Western Union, which were difficult to trace and non-refundable.

Often victims did not realise they had been scammed until they arrived at the airport to find their flight reservation did not exist, or at a hotel to discover there was no record of their booking.

Fraudsters were also taking advantage of disruption caused by industrial action by UK Passport Office workers by offering bogus “fast-track” services.

The institute said it had seen texts and emails offering quick passport renewals, warning that victims could lose personal data and money to scammers.

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“Lots of people are preparing to go away at the moment and, unfortunately, there are a lot of adverts on social media advertising cottages and hotels at home and abroad with incredible pictures and fantastic prices," said its lead officer, Katherine Hart.

“These bogus adverts are designed to steal our money, leaving us disappointed and without a holiday.

“As with any purchase, do your research, only shop with reputable companies, and make sure you are 100 per cent sure who you are dealing with and what you are getting before you part with any money.”

Institute chief executive John Herriman said: “As always, scammers are quick to leap on any opportunity to take advantage of uncertainty and upheaval.

“The exploitation of delays brought about by Passport Office strikes are just the latest example of scammers preying on people’s vulnerability.

“People work hard and save all year round for their holidays. Scammers know this but they don’t care.

"We can all fight back, though, by being alert, by following a few simple guidelines and spreading the word about the harm these scams can cause.”

The institute urges consumers to check the URL and security of any website used to book a holiday and always look at independent reviews other than those on the website.

They are advised to contact the owners of the holiday cottage before making a booking and pay using a protected method such as a credit card, debit card or PayPal’s buyer protection service.