The Travel Association is partnering with Get Safe Online, Action Fraud and the City of London Police’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) on a new consumer campaign to raise awareness of the dangers posed by holiday booking fraud and provide advice on how to avoid becoming a victim.  The campaign will encourage consumers to take important steps to avoid being defrauded including looking for ABTA Membership when they book, researching the travel companies they book with and using secure payment methods online.

The campaign, which is part of ABTA’s broader look for the logo initiative, will include new research from the NFIB looking at the number of victims of holiday fraud and common types of fraud.  The campaign partners have also produced case studies, a short video and new advice for consumers on how to avoid becoming a victim of holiday booking fraud.  A leaflet is available for download.

What is holiday booking fraud?

Holiday booking fraud is when consumers hand over money only to discover the holiday, accommodation or flight they paid for doesn’t exist, or the booking hasn’t been made. New research by the police shows that fraudsters are conning unsuspecting holidaymakers and travellers out of thousands of pounds each year or leaving them stranded with nowhere to stay through fake websites, false advertising, bogus phone calls and email scams.

Victoria Bacon, Head of Communications ABTA said: “This type of fraud is not just devastating for members of the public who lose their money, it tarnishes their experience of booking a holiday and that’s bad for our industry. The police are becoming increasingly concerned about this type of fraud so this campaign aims to educate consumers on common tactics used by fraudsters and what to look out for when they’re booking their travel arrangements. Clearly, booking with an ABTA member is one of the simplest ways to ensure you’re booking with a legitimate company, so that’s an important message for us to get across.”