Looking forward to your summer holiday? If you’re thinking about booking a getaway for you, your family or your friends, make sure that you don’t fall for fake websites, fake flights or fake competitions by looking out for these social media holiday scams.
Fake websites
Fake websites are sites that look like a holiday website that you’re familiar with, but are actually copycats created by scammers. They pop-up frequently on social media, because it’s incredibly cheap to advertise and there is often very little vetting process for businesses. Fake versions of websites like Airbnb and Booking.com are especially common, as they are well-known and trusted brands.
The fake versions of these websites are likely to look incredibly similar to the real deal, but instead of featuring real hotels and properties for you to stay at, they’ll be littered with stolen photos and unrealistically low prices. These fake sites seek to take advantage of those looking for a deal and get you to the checkout screen, where you can send a payment across to the scammers (and they can collect your bank details for good measure).
Avoid this scam by: Checking the URL of the website that you’re using to make sure that it’s the real deal, and make sure you are using websites with the padlock (https). If you’re using a new website, do a quick web search and check the reviews. Exercise caution if you’re using social media to find an offer.
Fake flights
One of the ways that scammers take advantage of holiday goers is by selling fake flight tickets. This is another scam that is incredibly common on social media, just like with other forms of ticket scams. The scammer will claim that they have a flight that they can no longer use, and state that they’re looking to sell it for the face value, plus the fee to change the name on the flight. Victims respond to the scammer and send money across by bank transfer, and the scammer vanishes.
When you’re looking for a good deal on your flights, consider signing up to newsletters of certain airlines, or joining a loyalty scheme if you frequently fly with the same airline. Purchasing flights through a connection you’ve made on social media means that you don’t have any avenues to get your money back if the seller does end up being a scammer.
Avoid this scam by: booking directly with the airline, or with a trusted travel agent. You should never pay for your holiday, flights or tickets by bank transfer when you’re purchasing from a private seller - this is a tactic often used by scammers to prevent the payment being reversed. Instead use the payment systems provided by the website, or PayPal.
Fake competitions
Fake competitions are rife on social media, and holidays are another way that Instagram, TikTok and Facebook are being used to convince people to part with their cash. These scams can be as simple as a post where you’re asked to ‘tag a friend you’d invite on holiday with you’, or they can be more elaborate, where you’re asked to sign up and provide your details in order to enter.
It can feel like commenting on an Instagram post to enter a holiday is a bit of harmless fun; however, for scammers this can provide a long list of people to contact. After they’ve informed you that you have won, scammers can then ask for more details from you, such as a phone number, passport details and bank details. You can risk your identity being stolen and have your bank account drained in the process.
Avoid this scam by: only taking part in competitions run by well known and trusted brands and companies. Confirm that the competition is genuine by checking their website, and looking for well-written terms and conditions.
