5 holiday booking scams to be aware of - full list including fake booking sites to avoid

The summer is almost upon us, and Brits are now scrambling to get the best bargain they can find online from the many travel platforms. But with the rising demand during this time of the year, many still fall victim to websites claiming to be legitimate, losing their hard-earned cash to scammers.

Consumer experts at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have now identified five holiday scams to be aware of or risk getting ripped off and without a summer break. This is in the wake of more than 4,244 incidents of holiday-related fraud received by Action Fraud, resulting in hardworking Brits losing thousands to scammers from 2021 to 2022.

Now experts are urging those booking their summer holiday to be on the lookout for dodgy hotel reviews and fake coach transfers, as it could be a scammer behind the computer screen.

John Stirzaker, online consumer expert at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said: “The moment the weather starts to warm up, our first thoughts immediately turn to booking a summer holiday.

Unfortunately, many scammers are using people’s desire for a break as an opportunity to exploit and deceive others out of their hard-earned money.

“This isn’t only devastating to many families who have saved for years to afford the holiday, but it can make them scared to ever book one again in the future. To help people be aware of what red flags they need to be cautious of, we’ve identified five scams that people have fallen victim to when booking their holiday.”

5 holiday booking scams to be aware of 

Check reviews on multiple websites

Review standards vary in each country, so while it may be listed as a five-star, it may in fact be lower. Hotel owners can also dispute any low reviews if ‘unjustly’ made, which can make the reviews higher than they should be.

Double-check the booking site

Scammers can create fake web pages that look identical to legitimate booking sites meaning you’ll be directly paying into their pocket for a trip that will never happen. Always make sure the links are correct by double-checking for any misspellings and if the site quality is lower than it should be.

Ride airline verified coach transfers

When booking for coaches, try and stick to airline-verified ones that are the same as your flight, otherwise you could be conned by paying over the odds for spare seats on a random coach at the airport. They may also take the longer route to get you to pay more for the ride.

Travel Insurance

Only book travel insurance via verified websites with certification and approval checks otherwise you could be giving your bank details to fraudsters. When you do book through verified sites, read the fine print before going through to check everything it covers in case of worst-case scenarios. Quotes may also be higher if you have pre-existing medical conditions so make sure to fill the form out correctly.

Hold off from buying experiences unless it’s a verified package holiday

Experience deals may not be sold at the right price or won’t provide what’s in the description if it’s booked on external pages. Try booking these things through your hotel to make sure they’re legit or you could end up paying double the amount you intended to.