A third (34%) of holidaymakers have seen an increase in potential travel scams on social media over the past year, a survey indicates.
Seven in 10 (70%) people said they are wary of promotional emails related to holidays due to concerns about potential scams.
And half (50%) prefer to book holidays with online or high street travel businesses if they clearly explain how they are protecting consumers from fraud.
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Two-fifths (40%) of holidaymakers said that they change their behaviour while on holiday due to financial safety concerns, according to the research commissioned by payment service provider emerchantpay.
George Ralchev, head of risk at emerchantpay, said holidaymakers are being targeted by social media scammers “looking to take advantage of the peak travel season”.
Opinium carried out the survey in May among 2,000 people across the UK.
Holiday scams may include criminals advertising fake holiday accommodation or flights, for example.
People may also be offered tours while they are on holiday that do not exist.
Scammers may copy photos from legitimate websites and may also ask for bank transfers.
To help avoid scams, people could do research to check that a destination actually exists, look for independent reviews and check website links.
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Holidaymakers may also want to consider checking whether the company involved is a member of Abta, a trade association for UK travel agents, tour operators and the wider travel industry.
People booking package deals with a flight could also check coverage under the Atol financial protection scheme.
Lisa Webb, a consumer law expert at Which?, said: “There are ways to help you spot fake holiday listings – such as using a reverse image search to check for stolen images or checking the property’s location on an online map to see that it exists.
“Always book through official, trusted channels and avoid paying by bank transfer for anything advertised on social media.
“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.”
