July and August are always peak periods for holiday bookings as thousands book last minute summer getaways. Get Safe Online, a government-backed campaign developed in collaboration with ABTA and The Travel Association are warning holidaymakers about following some simple online fraud prevention measures as they search for holiday bargains.

According to their research, one in three internet users fail to authenticate the travel provider they were booking a holiday with and one in five do not check the web page is secure when entering payment details.

Holiday rental frauds

Although relatively few and far between in comparison to the thousands of holidays booked direct with villa owners each year – holiday rental scams do exist.

The most common is fraud is using fake websites or posting advertisements on holiday rental portals for apartments or villas that don’t exist – you handover your hard earned cash for the ‘dream holiday rental’ that doesn’t exist.

Book your holiday securely

There are certain steps you can take to protect your holiday, as we have previously discussed – how to check for holiday rental scams.

Get Safe Online also provides useful advice on using the internet securely and steps to take to ensure your holiday booking is authentic.

Checklist:

  • Check the track record of any holiday retailer unfamiliar to you. If renting a private villa speak to the owner/agent directly via telephone; if the number isn’t provided email and request it.
  • Ask for references from other people who have visited the property and make contact with them directly.
  • Do your research – Get the full address and find the property on Google maps.
  • Ask for a full contract which should set out all the booking terms and conditions of the rental, payment terms etc.
  • When making a payment to an individual use a secure payment site such as PayPal – never transfer the money directly into their bank account. Note: I don’t agree that you should “never transfer the money directly into their bank account” many holiday rental owners accept payments this way. The key is to research the owner, don’t send payments to strangers.
  • Ensure the site is secure if you are entering financial details. Look out for a padlock symbol in the browser window, plus the payment pages should begin with ‘https://’.
  • Keep receipts of all holiday bookings. Print off any confirmation pages and emails and keep them in case you are charged incorrectly or misled.
  • Monitor your payment – Be sure to check your credit card and bank statements carefully once the holiday is booked, and notify the bank as soon as possible if you notice anything is wrong.
  • Trust your instincts – Is it too good to be true? Five-star holiday at a two-star price? If something doesn’t seem right, take additional steps to verify the offer.

Follow our advice – how to check for holiday rental scams.

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