Holidaymakers warned about online travel scams

By Tom Farley, Wed 7 Jul 2010 - Published in Travel Insurance

Travel insurance customers have been warned about the dangers created by bogus holiday scams.

Experts at Get Safe Online and UK travel association ABTA pointed out that many people are looking to book last-minute deals during the summer months, but claimed that criminals can exploit this by selling holidays which do not exist.

Research conducted by Get Safe Online showed that 30 per cent of people booking holidays over the internet do not confirm that their travel provider is authentic before giving their payment details.

The survey also showed that 68 per cent have never heard of bogus holiday websites, while 67 per cent did not know about holiday rental scams.

Mike Monk, head of financial services at ABTA, said: "By being aware of the risks, knowing the 'tell-tale' signs to look out for and taking some basic prevention measures, there's no reason why holidaymakers cannot enjoy the benefits of booking online."

This week, Sainsbury's Travel Insurance stressed the importance of telling cover providers about any pre-existing medical conditions before going on holiday.

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