Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) said victims lost an average of £1,380 each, having bought bogus airline tickets, accommodation or organised tours.
The last thing that you want to happen after booking a holiday is to find out that part or all your trip doesn’t actually exist at all and your money has been lost to a scam. That’s what has happened to over 5,000 British tourists in 2018, costing them a combined £7m. ABTA believe that the actual total figure relating to travel fraud may be higher, with many victims feeling too embarrassed to report it.
Mark Tanzer ABTA Chief Executive said: “Fraudsters are using increasingly sophisticated methods to target destinations and times of year when demand is high and availability limited, as they know people will be looking for good deals. As victims often find out just before they travel or even in resort that they have been defrauded, it can then be very difficult and expensive to obtain a legitimate replacement booking compounding the financial costs and emotional distress suffered by victims.”
PayingTooMuch Holidays’ Roger Mallock added: “Start by checking if they are ABTA/ATOL accredited. If the overall price of the holiday is considerably cheaper than anyone else online or in the travel agency, then you should be suspicious. Holidays do vary in price throughout the year due to peak and low season pricing. So, if you see a 7 day all inclusive holiday for £99pp on one site and it’s £499 for the same holiday on another site, you should avoid it or at least call your travel provider and get them to investigate further. They might be able to offer the same price if the offer is legitimate. We guarantee to beat any like for like quote from the supplier direct.”
Facts and figures in 2018
- Over 5,000 cases of holiday and travel booking fraud were reported to Action Fraud
- 53% of the crimes reported were related to the sale of airline tickets
- 25% of the crimes were related to the sale of accommodation
- The average amount lost was £1,380 per person
- Largest individual loss was over £425,000
Top tips to avoid becoming a travel fraud victim
Action Fraud, ABTA and Get Safe Online have published advice on how to avoid becoming a victim of holiday booking fraud – and on how victims should go about reporting it. This advice includes the top tips below:
Check the web address is legitimate and has not been altered by slight changes to a domain name – such as going from .co.uk to .org
- Check whether the company is a member of a recognised trade body such as ABTA
- Don’t just rely on one review - do a thorough online search to check the company’s credentials.
- Wherever possible, pay by credit card and be wary about paying directly into a private individual’s bank account.
- You should study receipts, invoices as well as terms and conditions. Be very wary of any companies that don’t provide any at all. When booking through a Holiday Club or Timeshare, get the contract thoroughly vetted by a solicitor before signing up.
- If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Victims should contact Action Fraud via actionfraud.police.uk.
- For further advice on how to stay safe when booking or researching travel online, go to https://www.getsafeonline.org/shopping-banking/holiday-and-travel-booking/
Going on holiday should be one of the best experiences of your life, so making sure you are protected is very important. Book your holiday with an ABTA accredited agent such as PayingTooMuch Holidays. We sell travel services on behalf of Hays Travel Limited and benefit from Hays Travel's membership of ABTA with membership number P7094.
Call us today on 01243 213965 and book your ABTA and ATOL protected holiday. It’s a wonderful world, explore it with PayingTooMuch Holidays.
