Holidaymakers warned over social media scams for fake accommodation

Research suggests holidaymakers should carry out their own checks to avoid booking fake accommodation this summer. A third of travellers reported seeing more potential travel scams on social media, and an Opinium survey in May of 2,000 people in the UK found seven in 10 were wary of promotional holiday emails.

Two-fifths said they had changed their behaviour while on holiday and half said they now prefer to book with online or high-street travel businesses that explain how they protect customers from fraud. Many people may be booking later than usual because of uncertainty around the impact of the Iran war, which increases the risk of falling victim to online or telephone scams.

Scammers offer fake accommodation, flights or tours, sometimes copying images from legitimate sites and asking for bank transfers.

United Kingdom

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