How to avoid scams when booking last-minute holidays
Tali writes about scams and consumer rights for Which? delving into fraud, technology and consumer rights topics to keep readers safe and empowered.
Fake holidays can be an effective way for fraudsters to lure you in with tempting deals to harvest your data and steal large sums of money. Some holiday scams can be incredibly hard to spot, too.
During the peak holiday booking period in February, VPN provider NordVPN found 40 new fraudulent Booking.com websites every day, showing the relentless efforts scammers go to con people.
These scam websites will steal your personal and payment information under the guise of paying for rooms that don't exist. NordVPN also found that Airbnb was the second-most impersonated travel brand and that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) made the scam sites more convincing.
In 2024, money stolen by holiday scams totalled £11m with an average of £1,844 per victim, and more than 6,000 reports, according to Report Fraud data. The summer months were also among the highest for scam reports as hopeful holidaymakers looked to bag a last-minute deal.
Below, we explain some of the most common ways fraudsters carry out holiday scams and how you can spot the signs of a scam.
Copycat websites
Scam websites impersonating legitimate holiday companies are designed to grab your personal and financial information.
You may be led to one of these bogus sites via dodgy posts and ads on social media or search engines under the guise of belonging to a legitimate holiday or accommodation company.
One giveaway can be the website address. Pay attention and look for unusual words, misspellings or characters. A company’s official website address will typically only include its name.
Another scam giveaway is that the website was recently created. This is because fraudsters will have created the site quickly for the purpose of executing the scam. Using a domain checker, such as who.is, will tell you when the website was created.
Scam accommodation listings
Accommodation booking sites, such as Booking.com, can be used by scammers to create fake listings and con you with accommodation that doesn't exist.
As part of a Which? Travel investigation, Which? listed a holiday home on Booking.com without needing to provide proof of who we were.
If you come across a listing you’re unsure about, you can reverse search images included in the listing using Google to see if the photo appears elsewhere. You do this by taking a screenshot of the image and uploading it using the image icon on the right side of the search bar, or use a website such as TinEye. If the image appears elsewhere, it may indicate it has been stolen.
It’s also best to stick to listings which aren’t new and have numerous positive reviews. Always read reviews before you book, and make sure you are reading the most recent reviews.
- Read more: the scam crisis on Booking.com
Fake hotel messages
Scammers pose as your accommodation provider and ask you to verify your payment details or share sensitive data to ‘confirm your identity’ or ‘secure your booking’ to avoid your stay being cancelled.
This happens as there has been a breach in security somewhere in the booking systems, either with the platform you booked through or the hotel that you have booked.
They may contact you by email, text, phone or a messaging platform such as WhatsApp, although the most convincing appear as messages when you log in to the booking platform.
Dodgy social media posts
Non-existent holidays being peddled on social media sometimes impersonate real holiday homes and companies, and other times create an entirely false getaway to tempt you into parting with your money and personal data.
In a previous investigation, Which? exposed a number of social media ads for fake holidays that had stolen images from a legitimate luxury holiday accommodation provider.
We have also exposed social media groups posing as customer service accounts for holiday companies. The scammers who run these groups provide emails and phone numbers to contact for refunds, but will steal any information you give them.
Newly created social media profiles, or those that appear unconnected to the holiday company, such as having a different name or being based in an unrelated location, can be red flags.
Also, some Facebook profiles have a 'reviews' tab where you can check for any negative feedback.
Tempting offers
Scammers will attempt to lure you into their schemes through tempting discounts, offers and giveaways which sound too good to be true.
Which? has previously reported on fake holiday competitions circulating on social media that impersonate Centre Parcs, easyJet and others. In these scams, the company branding will be stolen or closely copied, and competition entrants are typically directed to another website to share their personal information.
If you do see an appealing offer, make sure to check with the company it claims to be from to see if the offer is legitimate and steer away from any deals which sound unrealistically attractive.
Fake document services
Scammers will create fake government services websites for visa applications or passport renewals in an attempt to steal your personal and financial details.
Some of these websites can look the part, too. Always protect yourself by only using gov.uk website for passport renewals and any other government service. You can also find all the information about entry requirements for UK citizens for any country you are travelling to.
How to report a travel scam
You can report scam social media posts and ads to the platform by selecting the three dots in the top-right corner and pressing report.
Suspicious websites can be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre on its website.
If you lose any money to a scam, call your bank immediately using the number on the back of your bank card. Also report it to Report Fraud, or call the police on 101 if you’re in Scotland.
