‘I died inside – I was the victim of a scam’

Natasha Shake said she “died inside” when she realized she had been scammed just a week before she was due to go on a family holiday to Cornwall.

She had found an ad on social media and carried out an ID check on someone she believed to be the property owner, before giving her a £280 deposit.

But it turned out that he had no property and he and his family were left with no place to live. “It was hurtful,” she said.

Action Fraud is warning that at this time of year, when people are looking for affordable holidays, criminals will try to take advantage.

Ms Shake, a single mother from Lingfield, Surrey, said she had spoken on the phone to a man who said he was the owner of the property.

She asked to see her ID and a utility bill for the property, which she provided before paying the deposit, with the rest to be paid upon arrival.

Then around the holiday time, she said the man stopped responding to her messages.

“I suddenly died inside, because we had a week to go and we hadn’t booked anywhere.

“My heart sank and I became very disappointed in myself. The truth was that I had become the victim of a scam.”

Natasha reported the incident to the police and managed to get her money back from her bank, before booking alternative accommodation.

But, experts say, holiday scams can be a lucrative industry for fraudsters.

Two years ago, Sam Kirkwood, from Poole, Dorset, said he was planning to celebrate his 30th birthday by going to an England cricket match.

He said he saw the tickets advertised online from a seller in Cardiff.

“I found a place that looked like a real place, it had some good reviews on the website, booking.com.

“When we knocked on the door and someone answered the man said: ‘You’re like the third people who’ve been here this week.’

He said Booking.com refunded all the money Mr Kirkwood paid, including £100 of extra expenses he incurred while finding somewhere to stay.

Bookings were canceled due to partners closing their properties on the platform, the firm told the BBC.

He says that now the process of refund for the difference in the price of the alternative property has been started.

Last year Booking.com warned that artificial intelligence (AI) was driving a blast In travel scams, cases have increased by 900% in 18 months.

Action Fraud figures show there has been a significant increase in holiday scams with 6,457 reports in 2022/23, resulting in losses of over £15.3 million, compared to 4,244 cases in 2021/22, resulting in losses of over £7.3 million Is.

Kent Trading Standards says scammers are using social media or clones of reputable travel websites to defraud people.

Trading Standards manager Clive Phillips says scammers often advertise “very good” deals.

“People sometimes don’t realize they’ve been scammed until the last minute.”

Mr Phillips told the BBC of an incident where a man flew to India to see his family, but when he arrived at Heathrow Airport, “his flight didn’t exist”.

Sarah Broadbent, from Beckley in East Sussex, runs a glamping business and discovered some of her properties were being featured on a scam site, which has since been shut down.

“This site was named after one of my properties. They contained images taken directly from my website.

“I had a ton of people contacting me through social media asking questions about deals they had seen online that seemed too good to be true,” he said.

“It’s really disgusting for someone to try to snatch me away.”

Ali, from Kent, who did not want to give his full name, said he tried to book a flight through a travel agent he met online.

After giving his credit card details, he later realized that a hundred pounds more than he expected had been taken out of his account. ,

“They seemed very genuine with all the details about flight times and baggage allowances,” he said.

“They had trained how to lure people into cheap deals, which were half the price of other airlines.”

The money has been returned to Ali by his bank.

He added, “I felt very foolish not to check the website or numbers beforehand.”

Debt Superintendent Gary Miles, head of the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau at the City of London Police, said: “We know that at this time of year, people will be looking for the best holiday deals and that means criminals will want to take advantage.

“Before booking a holiday online, make sure you do your research and only use official or well-known holiday booking websites – look out for the ABTA and ATOL logos before clicking,” he said.

“Be cautious when using online marketplaces or social media platforms in search of holiday deals – those offering cheap or unrealistic prices may be criminals who intend to steal from you.

He advised to avoid paying by credit card and paying by bank transfer.

“Make sure you report any ads you find suspicious on social media platforms or online marketplaces,” he said.

Action Fraud says scammers often copy logos and website designs.

The organization is urging customers to check with ABTA or ATOL directly for company details and to use them rather than numbers included in online advertisements when contacting them.