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Avoiding holidays scams

Avoiding Holiday Scams

You've worked hard to save and plan for holiday, so the last thing you need is for things to go wrong. While we can't make your travel plans smoother, we can help you spot and avoid holiday scams. Report Fraud reported that more than £11 million was lost to holiday scams in 2024. On average, each victim lost £1,844.

Whether you're just starting to research or you've already booked, these tips should help. You should always be cautious about requests for money, especially if they're unexpected. If a holiday deal seems like a surprisingly good price, make sure to do your research before you book. Using multiple companies to search for average prices is a good way to check if something seems too good to be true.

Fraudsters can impersonate real companies, and ask you to pay upfront for a holiday to new accounts or through your card. If this happens, it can be difficult to get your money back. And then you might not be able to pay for your holiday when you need to.

You should always:

Verify the legitimacy of a company before booking with them. Check their registration details on Companies House and ensure they’re active. Search for reviews on reputable websites like Trustpilot or Google Reviews. You can read up on other customers' experiences and get a sense of the company's reputation. Use secure payments methods on legitimate booking websites and don’t switch to 3rd party platforms.

Ensure the travel company or individual is a member of ATOL or ABTA.

  • Avoid making payments for holidays by bank transfer.

  • Avoid using links from social media, text messages or email - always visit the travel website directly.

Remember: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Keep building your scam knowledge, and learn about other common scams:

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