Campaign launched to combat holiday booking fraud
Consumers are being warned about the dangers of holiday booking fraud in a joint campaign between ABTA, Get Safe Online, Action Fraud and the City of London Police’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.
The campaign will urge consumers to take important steps to avoid being defrauded, including looking for ABTA membership, researching travel companies before they book and using secure payment methods online.
New police research shows fraudsters are using fake websites, false advertising, bogus phone calls and email scams to con unsuspecting holidaymakers and travellers out of thousands of pounds each year, and sometimes even leaving them stranded overseas.
"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," said Victoria Bacon, ABTA’s head of communications.
"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."
A leaflet with advice and case studies is available for download at www.abta.com.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025