ACTION FRAUD has released new data showing how many people fell victim to holiday fraud in the last year.

The national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime revealed it received 6,457 reports of holiday fraud from April 2022 to March 2023 amounting to over £15m lost.

Victims reported losing a total of £15,319,057; a 41 per cent increase on last year’s results, which amounts to an average loss of £2,372 per victim. From May – August alone, more than £4.6m was lost.

With the summer months seeing the highest levels for holiday fraud reports, Action Fraud has today launched a national awareness campaign, supported by North Wales Police, to provide some tips for the public to bare in mind when booking a holiday:

  • Do your own research: "Booking your trip via a company you haven’t used before? Do some research to check they're legitimate. Read feedback from sources that you trust, such as consumer websites. You can find a company’s official website by searching for them on Google or another trusted search engine."

 

  • Look for the logo: "Check whether the company is an ABTA Member. Look for the ABTA logo on the company's website. If you have any doubts, you can verify membership of ABTA online on their website. If you're booking a flight as part of a package holiday and want more information about ATOL protection, or would like to check whether a company is an ATOL holder, visit the ATOL or CAA website."

 

  • Pay safe: "Book your holiday with a credit card, if you have one. Most major credit card providers protect online purchases, and are obliged to refund you in certain circumstances. Using a creditcard (rather than a debit card) also means that if your payment details are stolen, your main bank account won’t be directly affected."

 

  • Secure your email: "If your email is hacked, it could allow a criminal to access information about your holiday booking. Use 3 random words to create a strong password for your email that’s different to all your other passwords. If you’re offered 2-step verification to protect your email and social media accounts, always use it."

Head of Action Fraud, Pauline Smith said: “With summer only just around the corner, we enter a period where fraudsters ramp up efforts to catch out unsuspecting members of the public.

“Scammers prey on people wanting to find a good deal online – whether that’s cheap flights, great hotels close to the beach at discounted rates or package holidays that undercut well-known travel operators and brands, people are more than willing to snap up a deal which sometimes comes at a heavy cost.

“When booking a holiday here or abroad, it’s important to do your research before handing over any money and to double check any website.

"To avoid the wave of crime this summer we encourage people to stop, check and research before paying. If it sounds too good to be true – it most definitely is.”