Check out the latest Scam Alert advice
by John Trotter (January 2022)
IN the last few days we have seen the move to ending Covid lockdown rules, and by coincidence BBC has been showing a new series of Rip Off Britain, concentrating on stories about holiday scams and frauds. If you missed these programmes, and you are planning a holiday for this year, I recommend that you catch-up on these shows via i-player before you make a booking. Here are a few tips to avoid falling victim to one of the (many) holiday frauds that are around. With the end to Plan B, many of us will be taking to the internet to arrange our bookings, and the scammers are just waiting to strike. So here are a few tips.
Stay safe online: check the web address is legitimate and has not been altered by slight changes to a domain name – such as going from .co.uk to .org. Even if you are on a genuine website, you might be asked to click on another link to confirm hotel or apartment booking, and I recommend that you check that link separately before continuing. Watch out then for any sort of red flag warning to indicate an illegal site.
Do your research: don’t just rely on one review – do a thorough online search to ensure the company is credible. If a company is defrauding people, there is a good chance that consumers will post details of their experiences, and leave warnings about the company.
Look for the logo: check whether the company is an ABTA Member. Look for the ABTA…
