Travel

The three most important things to remember when booking a holiday to AVOID being scammed


Holiday and Travel Insurance expert Rebecca Kingsley revealed those looking to buy holidays must be very cautious of potential scams. In an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk the Travel Insurance Explained brand manager noted those looking to purchase a holiday online must ensure they do their research, refuse to pay by bank transfer and double check the third party is ABTA or ATOL protected. The insurance expert added it can be difficult to ensure reimbursement of lost finances if paid by bank transfer due to the complex financial process criminals can use to hide their money.

She continued: “Holiday fraud is obviously quite common.”

“A report that came out not long ago on the importance of online booking

“The weird thing with that is to do your research and check that the website is legitimate.

“You should also remember not to pay by bank transfer and instead use a credit card.

“Remember to book with ABTA or ATOL member companies.

“This is because you get a level of security with those when booking a trip

“Just double check everything because if it looks too good to be true it usually is.

“They shouldn’t be relying on everything they see straight away, as holidaymakers should always do their background check and are doing their research.”

As more people begin finalising purchases for a summer holiday it is important to avoid booking scams as best as possible as police have often found it difficult to catch criminals that choose to operate online.

In the event a fraudster is caught by the police, it cannot always be guaranteed the money stolen will be returned to the victims.

Action Fraud and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau show that over 5,000 people reported losing money to holiday and travel-related fraud last year, up from the 4,382 victims of 2017.

Over half of the reported crimes related to the sale of airline tickets, while 25 percent were linked to the sale of accommodation.



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