The 10 scams you should be watching out for on your summer holidays: Sarah Coles

However, the world has moved on since the 1990s, and the scams have done so too. So if you’re going away for the summer, it pays to be aware of some of the most common scams doing the rounds at the moment.

Clone travel websites

Nowadays you’ll be targeted well before you get anywhere near a beach. Holiday booking scams come in all sorts of guises, and one of the most common is the clone travel site. Action Fraud has warned against sites that look just like the real thing, but with a small difference in the URL. You’re expecting it to be a well-known airline, hotel or travel company, so you make what you think is a booking and put your payment details in. They take your money and run. It means you need to check the web address of the site you’re using carefully.

Social media booking scams

Another common booking scam is to advertise accommodation on social media sites, and ask for payment by bank transfer. You may be contacted before you travel to say the place is no longer available – offering a refund that never shows up. Alternatively, you may be in the dark until the moment you arrive and discover there’s no booking. You can protect yourself by booking through sites with customer guarantees, so if you fall foul of a scammer, they’ll help you find an alternative and cover the difference in cost. It’s also sensible to use accommodation with a significant number of reviews.

Fake holiday websites

Some scammers will set up fraudulent holiday websites. They know people will search for a member of ATOL – which offers extra protection if something goes wrong. As a result, they use a fake ATOL number – so you’ll need to go to the ATOL website itself and check the number you have. If in doubt, it pays to err on the side of caution. You can also book your holiday with a credit card, which offers section 75 protection. If you’re ripped off, the card company is equally liable with the company you bought from, so you should be able to get a refund.

Charging scam

Once you get to the airport, you need to be aware of charging scams, which offer cables to charge your phone. It seems like a handy development, especially if you’re beset by delays and your phone is running low. However, scammers can fix the cables to instal malware and steal your phone’s data, so it could end up far more expensive than buying your own powerbank to charge your phone on the go.

Public wifi risks

This isn’t the only data-stealing technique to watch for on the move. If you log into public wifi, either on your travels or at your accommodation, you need to be aware it’s not as safe as browsing at home, and if you put in any personal details, there’s a risk someone could hack into them.

Parking scams

Watch for parking scams featuring QR codes. Increasingly car park operators will provide these so you can scan the code and pay online. However, it has led to scammers printing and displaying their own QR codes, so you’re not paying for parking at all – you’re donating to a scammer – and to add insult to injury you’ll end up with a fine for failing to pay for parking too. To protect yourself, check for details of the website on the official car park notices, and type in the URL yourself.

Complaint scams

If you run into trouble with a booking, and take to social media to complain, you could fall victim to another scam. Some criminals will set up accounts that sound like the customer service department of an airline or travel company, and will ask people for more details so they can sort their mistake. They will then use those details to fleece you. One version is with lost luggage, where they take a ‘fee’ to cover the cost of returning the suitcases, and then just take your money.

Fake cancellation refunds

When there are widespread disruptions, scammers will chance their arm, and send out spam emails offering cancellation refunds. If you’ve just fallen foul to this summer’s cancellations, you could be forgiven for thinking this was your airline getting in touch. They will get you to click on a link in the email and harvest your details.

Visa scammers

If you’re travelling somewhere that requires a visa, be very careful when searching online for details. There are plenty of people around who will arrange a visa – and charge a huge fee on top. There are others who charge for invalid or fake visas, so you pay dearly for something completely worthless. Make sure you’re buying through the official embassy website, and check whether you need a visa for the period you’re traveling for.

Taxi scams persist

Some things have moved on, but others remain resolutely unchanged. Taxi scams are still rife. One recent study found that six in ten of us have fallen for one too – which makes me feel a bit better about doing so all those years ago.

The note-switching trick is still a late-night airport taxi classic – where the driver walks away with the large note you handed them and returns with something smaller, claiming you’ve made a mistake. It’s why using a licenced firm is sensible.

Another one that’s as old as the hills is the ‘preferred supplier’ trick, where they take you to a different hotel or restaurant – owned by someone who has paid them to do so, and you can end up paying more for something you didn’t want. It’s worth putting the location into your phone and tracking the journey to make sure you end up where you expect.

This should also alert you to the old favourite of taking the scenic route. Meanwhile, agreeing what you will pay in advance should help avoid them adding spurious extra charges that can double the cost of the trip.

Nobody wants to be on their guard when they go away, or to think the worst of people while they’re there. Then again, trust me, nobody wants to be bickering about their gullibility for the entire holiday and living off watermelon either.

Sarah Coles is Head of Personal Finance for Hargreaves Lansdown and Podcast Host for Switch Your Money On