Lloyds alerts hopeful holidaymakers as holiday scam victims lose 21% more than last year (£928 on average)

Key findings on holiday scams:

• The average amount lost by victims of holiday scams rose 21% over the past year, to £928.
• Those aged 35 to 44 continue to be the largest group affected, making up over a quarter of cases (26%).
• Flight tickets continue to be popular bait for scammers, with flights to the long-haul destinations of India and Nigeria appearing most frequently in scam reports. Caravan holidays also remain popular for scammers.
• Facebook, including Facebook Marketplace, remains the top hunting ground for fraudsters, with 42% of cases originating on the platform.

How do these scams operate

Scammers will often create fake advertisements, for example a cheap flight to a long-haul destination. Or they may advertise a holiday they claim to have booked for themselves but can no longer use.

Some scammers will ask for full payment upfront, whilst others might just ask for a deposit. Once the money has been sent, the victim might be provided with fake confirmation details and only later will realise they have been scammed. In lots of cases, the scammer will disappear once they receive payment.

Liz Ziegler, Fraud Prevention Director at Lloyds, said:

"For a lot of people, holidays are a chance to escape the everyday stresses of life and take time to relax. But falling victim to a scam whilst booking one can lead to the opposite.

“We know that fraudsters continue to use social media websites such as Facebook to take advantage of people looking for a good deal, so people must stay alert and think about their online purchases.

“Always book through a trusted retailer, or direct with airlines and hotels, using your card. Don’t ever feel pressured into purchasing anything, especially if someone is asking you to transfer money to them directly.”

Liz’s top tips to stay safe from holiday scams

• Always use your debit or credit card. This helps to protect your money should something go wrong.
• Only use trusted retailers when purchasing tickets and hotel stays. Even better, book direct from the airline or hotel. When booking stays, look for valid reviews on websites such as TripAdvisor.
• When booking stays through websites such as Airbnb and Booking.com, only pay through their systems. Decline any requests from the host to transfer money directly to them.
• Be cautious on social media. It can be hard to validate whether a user or what they’re selling is genuine. If buying a caravan or motorhome, always see the item in person before handing over any form of deposit.
• Don’t succumb to pressure from a seller. If they are trying to rush you, or bombarding you with messages, this can be a sign of pressure selling.
• Follow any advice from your bank and pay attention to warnings. Your bank is likely to provide a warning when you set up a new payee or make an unusual payment.

Case Studies

These are real-life examples of typical holiday scams that were reported to Lloyds. Names have been changed to protect the identity of the victims.

Helen’s story

Helen was looking for a return flight deal to Dubai. She came across an Instagram page ‘Concierge First’ who advertised flight deals and concierge services.

Helen was asked to make payment directly to the seller, via bank transfer, and received a confirmation email.

When she started to check the booking she’d made, she realised the details of the flight she intended to book did not match details in the email.

The page she’d been interacting with on Instagram disappeared, and emails she sent were ignored. This is when Helen realised that she had been scammed. Her total loss was £1800.

Jasmin’s story

Jasmin was looking for a flight home to Zimbabwe, where she needed to renew her driving licence. She searched on Google, looking at a variety of agency websites offering cheap flight deals.

She contacted a company ‘Iceland Tours’, speaking to them initially on the phone, then continuing correspondence through WhatsApp and email.

She booked a flight with them, receiving a confirmation email with an invoice for her to pay. She was told the normal payment process was not working, so they could only take direct bank transfers. Jasmin transferred the money for the tickets, receiving an e-ticket confirmation email.

Nearer the time of the flight, Jasmin realised she had received no further information and didn’t have a booking reference to crosscheck with the airline. She contacted the flight operator directly who informed her there was no booking made for her.

She tried to contact Iceland Tours on the phone and on WhatsApp but was ignored, then realising she had been scammed. Jasmin’s total loss was £643.

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Data as at end of Feb 2025.