Private investigator Paul Jones of ARF Investigators said holiday scams are « becoming very sophisticated ». Mr Jones said: « We’ve seen everything from fake listings to fake booking websites that look completely legitimate.
« And if you get caught, you could end up paying thousands of pounds for something that doesn’t exist. » One of his professional tips is to question a holiday deal that seems too good to be true. « Only book your holiday through a trusted online provider and never take anything off the platform, » said Mr Jones.
« If they suggest you chat on WhatsApp or an equivalent and then ask for additional payment, do not send them money and report them to the booking provider. »
Mr Jones said fraudsters « often ask for bank transfers or PayPal transfers, » but you shouldn’t send money like that.
« When paying on a platform, make sure to pay with a credit card, which gives you an added layer of security, » added Mr Jones.
One way to determine whether a website is legit is to conduct a « reverse image search. »
Mr Jones said: « In our experience doing a reverse image search is a great way of finding out if you are being scammed or not. »
All you need to do is take an image from the holiday listing and drag it into a Google search to discover if the image has been used elsewhere across the internet.
Mr Jones elaborated: « While it’s not 100% effective, what it does is show you if the photos have been used in the past for different addresses.
« If the image comes up for more than one address, then you are being scammed. »
What to do if you’ve been scammed
Anybody who has experienced a holiday scam is encouraged to contact their credit card company to have the money returned.
However, if you paid by PayPal, you’ll need to open an active fraud investigation; those who paid by bank transfer are unlikely to get their money back.
Mr Jones said: « It’s important to slow down when making an expensive purchase; holidays are exciting, but take it slow, double-check everything, read reviews and trust your instincts.
« These holiday scams are convincing, and anyone can be scammed; don’t think it won’t happen to you, because when it does, you will lose thousands. »
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