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5 Mar, 2014

Travel fraudsters swindled UK holidaymakers out of £7m in 2013, and it’s getting worse – The Independent

The Internet and travel were made for each other, enabling millions of individuals to access flights, accommodation and holiday packages. But online tricksters are swindling at least £7 million a year from unwary travellers, according to a new report from National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB).

Nearly 5,000 cases of holiday booking fraud were reported in 2013. The single most lucrative fraud is for holiday accommodation. Three out of 10 holiday fraud victims were scammed by fake advertisements of villas and apartments.

Most of these involved properties abroad – but fraudsters are also targeting domestic holidays. A Yorkshire couple who thought they had bought a Loch Ness weekend Valentine’s break online were left over £1,000 out of pocket. The “romantic lodge” they had seen advertised on Facebook did not exist. Because they had paid by bank transfer, they were unable to recoup their losses.

Read the rest: Travel fraudsters swindled holidaymakers out of £7m last year – and the problem is growing – The Independent.