Checkaco Consumer News: the Independent’s travel guru Simon Calder lists 7 ways to spot a holiday scam

By Rupert Bridgwater: With his lightweight travel suit, collar and tie and his school boy enthusiasm for the subject of travel and holidays The Independent newspaper’s Simon Calder is a regular contributor on TV news. Especially when things go wrong. Ahead of the school holiday season he lists the 7 ways to spot a scam and ensure you don’t pay fraudsters for holiday lets that don’t exist. Every year holiday makers lose millions of pounds to scammers with horror stories of families turning up at apartments in Spain and France only to find they’ve been conned, and their holiday accommodation is owned by someone else or doesn’t even exist.

Simon Calder is one of the nation’s most trusted travel writers and broadcasters having spent more than 30 years working for the Independent and also across TV and radio. He gained his reputation as someone who paid for his travel and didn’t take freebies and giving plugs to travel companies. As a result, his opinions carry considerable weight.

1 Low prices: we all like a bargain and when we see a really low price for a holiday it is tempting to immediately book it. Don’t! Do a Checkaco on the firm and if they have a track record of not paying their bills or don’t exist – do not use them.

2. Identity theft: never let a holiday firm insist they must have a scan of your passport of driving licence as they may well be scammers. Only legal reasons at passport control or at a hotel, or airline where they may ask to see your passport are excepted

3. Contact: Check to see if the address and phone number of a holiday property advertised are in the same country. If they are not then alarm bells should ring especially if there is no phone number. Simon Calder gives this piece of advice: “If a business says it is a member of Abta, the travel association, then use the very straightforward checking system to confirm its membership status – ring the landline shown on the Abta website to ensure that you are dealing with that company.”

4. Cloned sites: scammers will often use graphics and images from genuine airlines and holiday companies to trick you into using them to book. If in doubt phone the number on the website to check if it is authentic.

5. Fake owners: to check the property you plan to rent on holiday ask for a land line number to check the dialling code is right for the address. Ask some basic questions like where is the nearest shop or café, so you can cross check the details to see if they are genuine.

6. Payment: do not pay by bank transfer as this is a con. Pay by credit card.

7. Hassle: if the holiday company or owner of a holiday property tries to pressure you into a quick decision or even offers a discount if you decide immediately – beware. It is a classic ploy of fraudsters wanting to force you into a decision and to defraud you.

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