Which? is reporting that holiday makers are going to places like Thailand and finding that the holiday villa which they’ve booked through Booking.com doesn’t actually exist. One such group of holidaymakers were the Loader family who went to Phuket in Thailand.
Judy Loader commented: “Our distress was huge. Children in tears, no toilet, no food, no drink, foreign land and darkness descending.”
Judy also told Which? that before travelling, they had phoned Booking.com many times to express concern that they couldn’t get a reply from the villa owner either by phone or email. Judy commented that, “we were told not to worry, and in the worst-case scenario, we would not be homeless and it would cover extra costs if other accommodation had to be found.”
Having discovered that the villa didn’t exist, the Loader family waited six hours for Booking.com to respond to them. Eventually, they decided to find their own accommodation for the first night and the remaining six days.
Which? did report that, “Booking.com did refund the cost of the villa, less £80. It didn’t offer any other reimbursement for additional accommodation costs, the phone call charges and unplanned travel. But most surprising is that the non-existent villa continued to be listed on its platform, even after Which? got in touch with Booking.com”.
Judy stated that, “our protests at the time on the phone, and since by emails and letters, have gone unheeded.”
Stay safe from accommodation scams
Scams involving accommodation are not always easy to spot and can be incredibly convincing. If in any doubt, don’t book it and don’t part with any money.
To avoid scams when booking accommodation, Which? suggests that you should:
“be extremely wary of deals that are outrageously ‘good’, as this is a typical tactic used by scammers to get your attention
“always inspect the reviews, both good and bad, and make sure you look at the most recent reviews, not just those the platform has deemed the most relevant
“never pay by bank transfer – always use the platform’s payment systems, and ideally a credit card, to benefit from additional protections under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act
“be suspicious of further requests for verifying or updating card details after you’ve booked. Booking.com says it will never ask for payment details via email, chat message, text or phone.
Report scam listings to the platform and Action Fraud here. If you live in Scotland, you can report a scam to the police by calling 101.
Another scam concerning Booking.com where scammers are impersonating official hotels has been noted here.
Other scams doing the rounds
There are a number of other scams doing the rounds at present reports Which?.These include:
Diet pill scam email
Which? reported that a dodgy email promoting a weight loss pill that ‘naturally burns fat’ is doing the rounds. The email claims that the product was successful on the TV show Dragon’s Den.
The email goes on to provide a link to buy the pills, which in turn leads to a dodgy website created to steal your personal and financial information and send you nothing in return.
Suspicious emails can be reported by forwarding them to report@phishing.gov.uk.
Dodgy websites can be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre here.
M & S impersonation email
Which? Has also reported a scam email which claims to be from M&S. The email tells you that you’re eligible for what is described as a ‘free Afternoon Tea Letterbox Hamper with your next qualifying order.’
The email then “invites you to ‘unlock your free surprise’ by clicking on a link. However, this link leads to a malicious website which has nothing to do with M&S. This website will ask for your personal and financial information to scam you now or at a later date”.
M&S recently experienced a data breach, read what to do if you’re worried about this here.
Suspicious emails can be reported by forwarding them to report@phishing.gov.uk .
Dodgy websites can be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre here.
B&Q scam advert
Which? reported that this scam involves an advert on Facebook sharing a fake story claiming that their daughter works at B&Q and the retailer is clearing extra stock.
It goes on to say that you can “receive a pallet of ‘All Purpose Garden Soil’ by following a link left in the comments to leave a ‘quick review’”.
Which? then reports that this link takes you to a dodgy website, where your personal and financial information will be asked for.
You can report scam ads on Facebook by clicking the three dots on the top right corner and selecting ‘report’.
Shein mystery box scam
Which? reported that this involves a dodgy email peddling a fake Shein mystery box, which then leads to a malicious website.
The site will gather your personal and financial details while offering you nothing in return.
Copycat websites
Which? has also warned of “the dangers of scam websites, and tricking us into making payments or providing card details is often just the fraudster’s first move. With the knowledge they’ve gained, scammers can then phone you posing as your bank or provider. That’s why it’s so important to be sure a link is genuine before you click”.
Staying safe from copycat websites
Which? has suggested that to stay safe from copycat websites you do the following:
“Always double-check a website’s address.
“Be suspicious of offers that seem too good to be true.
“Browse the website before you commit to buying anything – look for key information such as T&Cs and contact details.
“Report a scam website to the National Cyber Security Centre.
“If you lost money to a scam, contact your bank or card provider immediately using the number found on your card or a recent letter”.
Scam sharer tool
If you think you have been scammed or have noticed a potential scam, please share it with Which?, so that others can be alerted to it.
You can share information here.
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