Warning to holidaymakers as scammers exploit passport delays and promote fake travel deals

Fraudsters are taking advantage of disruption caused by UK Passport Office strikes
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Holidaymakers are being warned to look out for fraudsters offering fake travel deals and fast-track passport services.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has warned that scammers are using increasingly sophisticated and convincing methods to dupe potential travellers into paying for non-existent holidays and services, including speedy passport renewals.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Scams include “entirely fabricated” social media ads with pictures of holiday cottages and hotels, accompanied by “too good to be true” prices. In many cases, holidaymakers were told to pay by cash, via bank transfer or through services such as Western Union, which were difficult to trace and non-refundable.

Victims often did not realise they had been scammed until they arrived at the airport to find their flight reservation did not exist, or at a hotel to discover there was no record of their booking. But by that point, scammers had already taken their money and disappeared, the CTSI warned.

Holidaymakers are being warned to look out for fraudsters offering fake travel deals (Photo: Getty Images)Holidaymakers are being warned to look out for fraudsters offering fake travel deals (Photo: Getty Images)
Holidaymakers are being warned to look out for fraudsters offering fake travel deals (Photo: Getty Images)

CTSI lead officer Katherine Hart said: “Lots of people are preparing to go away at the moment and, unfortunately, there are a lot of adverts on social media advertising cottages and hotels at home and abroad with incredible pictures and fantastic prices. These bogus adverts are designed to steal our money, leaving us disappointed and without a holiday.

“As with any purchase, do your research, only shop with reputable companies, and make sure you are 100% sure who you are dealing with and what you are getting before you part with any money.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Scammers were also taking advantage of disruption caused by UK Passport Office workers’ strikes by offering bogus “fast-track” passport services.

The CTSI said it had seen numerous texts and emails that claimed to offer speedy passport renewals, warning that victims could lose personal data to fraudsters as well as their money.

It comes after Passport Office workers began a five-week strike early this month in a dispute over jobs, pay, pensions and conditions, prompting warnings it could cause delays for those looking to renew their passports.

Home Office guidance currently states that it takes up to 10 weeks to get a passport and more than 2.7 million applications have already been processed this year. The government has said more than 99.7% of standard applications are being processed within 10 weeks, with the majority of those delivered to customers well under this timescale.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

An adult passport renewal online currently costs £82.50 for adults, or £93 if using a postal application. An online renewal for children costs £53.50 online and £64.00 by post.

CTSI chief executive John Herriman added: “As always, scammers are quick to leap on any opportunity to take advantage of uncertainty and upheaval. The exploitation of delays brought about by Passport Office strikes are just the latest example of scammers preying on people’s vulnerability.

“People work hard and save all year round for their holidays – scammers know this, but they don’t care. We can all fight back, though, by being alert, by following a few simple guidelines, and spreading the word about the harm these scams can cause.”

The CTSI is urging holidaymakers to check the URL and security of any website used to book a holiday before entering any personal information. Travellers should also always check independent reviews other than those on the website itself, contact the owners of the holiday cottage before making a booking and pay using a protected method such as a credit card, debit card or PayPal’s buyer protection service.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.