Fraudsters are reliant on you being so eager to book a holiday that you'll pay less attention when it comes to spending your money. They'll create listings on websites for accomodation they don't own, offer fraudlent tickets for flights that don't exist and take money for excursions that aren't real. These scams are especially common for caravan holidays in the UK.
How to protect yourself
When you book tickets and accomodation through a website or social media, check that the web address is exactly as you'd expect it to be and that a padlock symbol appears before the 'https' or 'www' in your web browser.
Use a credit card where you can to make payments and never pay directly into an individual's bank account.
Companies that have an ABTA or ATOL logo are regulated, so should be reliable. Check the ABTA Member Search page (for ABTA) or the CAA Website (for ATOL) to see if they're a member. You can also check for reviews on sites like Tripadvisor or Google Maps to see if people have used them before.
Watch out for emails, cold calls and social media messages from criminals pretending to be holiday companies offering refunds. They can steal your information by asking you to click on links or enter your bank detaiks to claim the repayment.
What to do
Trust your instincts. If you think you've lost some of your Skipton savings to a scammer, get in touch with us. Alternatively, you can report holiday scams to the police by calling the Action Fraud line on 0300 123 2040.