I am sure that by now most of us are aware of the dangers of scams in and around timeshare and it has to be accepted that the total amounts involving UK timeshare users could well be upwards of £50 million over the last few years with two scam organizations alone being rumoured to have extracted over £45 million from gullible and often desperate users.
However we are not alone and it is reported that UK package holidaymakers have been taken for £7 million in the last year alone. The scams involved being none existent flights, hotels and other accommodation.
In or out of timeshare we all need to take holidays, so it pays to do your homework.
Top tips to avoid becoming a holiday fraud victim.
"Check the booking agent's web address is legitimate and has not been altered by slight changes to a domain name - such as going from .co.uk to .org
Don't just rely on one review - do a thorough online search to check the company's credentials
Check whether the company is a member of a recognised trade body such as ABTA
Wherever possible, pay by credit card and be wary about paying directly into a private individual's bank account
Study receipts, invoices as well as terms and conditions
If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is."
Source: ABTA, Action Fraud and Get Safe Online.
I will add one more here. Never ever pay by bank transfer.
However we are not alone and it is reported that UK package holidaymakers have been taken for £7 million in the last year alone. The scams involved being none existent flights, hotels and other accommodation.
In or out of timeshare we all need to take holidays, so it pays to do your homework.
Top tips to avoid becoming a holiday fraud victim.
"Check the booking agent's web address is legitimate and has not been altered by slight changes to a domain name - such as going from .co.uk to .org
Don't just rely on one review - do a thorough online search to check the company's credentials
Check whether the company is a member of a recognised trade body such as ABTA
Wherever possible, pay by credit card and be wary about paying directly into a private individual's bank account
Study receipts, invoices as well as terms and conditions
If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is."
Source: ABTA, Action Fraud and Get Safe Online.
I will add one more here. Never ever pay by bank transfer.
Comment