Many holiday makers unaware of the most common scams: study

Jul 7, 2010

GetSafeOnline.org and the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) have highlighted that UK web users are ignoring basic online fraud-prevention measures in their quest for the ultimate holiday bargain, making them more likely to be caught out by bogus holiday scams.

Published: 07 Jul 2010

GetSafeOnline.org and the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) have highlighted that UK web users are ignoring basic online fraud-prevention measures in their quest for the ultimate holiday bargain, making them more likely to be caught out by bogus holiday scams.

A research by Get Safe Online has found that almost 30 percent web users booking holidays online do not confirm the authenticity of travel providers (e.g. by checking they are a member of a recognised trade association) before handing over payment details – one of a few basic, but important, lines of defence against fraud. The survey featured 1,000 adults.

Other common pitfalls include not checking the web page is secure when entering payment details to help ensure credit card information cannot be intercepted by fraudsters – over 1 in 5 (22 percent) online holidaymakers neglect to do this.

The fact that basic fraud-prevention measures are being overlooked becomes more of a concern with Get Safe Online’s research also revealing that many holiday makers are unaware of the most common scams - 67 percent of people say they’ve never heard of holiday rental scams, 68 percent responded in the same way to the idea of bogus holiday sites, with 81 percent unfamiliar with ‘gap-year’ fraud.

In addition, over 1 in 5 (22 percent) say they’ve been approached with holiday deals or villa rentals via unsolicited emails, phones calls or SMS text messages from individuals or organisations they don’t know – another area where caution is required.

Holidaymakers need not avoid the web altogether, however, says Mike Monk, head of financial services at Abta: “Booking your holiday online is a great way of finding unique locations and experiences, as well as often being faster, more convenient and offering value for money. However, with the online travel industry worth many millions each year, it’s inevitable that fraudsters will follow the money trail.

“However, by being aware of the risks, knowing the ‘tell-tale’ signs to look out for and taking some basic prevention measures, there’s no reason why holidaymakers cannot enjoy the benefits of booking online. That’s why Abta is partnering with Get Safe Online today to encourage people to follow our top advice for staying safe online,” he adds.

Other findings from the research include:

  • 59 percent of UK Internet users search for holidays or holiday rentals online
  • 52 percent book holidays online
  • While the majority of UK Internet users pay for online holidays via credit card (67 percent), debit card (64 percent) or secure online payment systems such as PayPal (33 percent), over 1 in 6 (14 percent) say they have sent advance payment via a cheque in the post
  • 36 percent of UK Internet users confess they don’t track and check the payments in their bank or credit card statements after booking a holiday
  • Over 1 in 10 (11 percent) said that they have found holidays to be below standard or not what was promised after booking online
  • Of those who do not book holidays online, 37 percent said it was because they were wary of making large purchases online due to the risk of fraud; a further 31 percent felt they couldn’t trust online providers.