View Full Version : Online Holiday Scams
PAXboy
18th Apr 2013, 21:36
I don't recall this topic in our Cabin before:
Holiday scams leave British travellers £1.5m out of pocket - News & Advice - Travel - The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/holiday-scams-leave-british-travellers-15m-out-of-pocket-8579177.html)
Espada III
19th Apr 2013, 07:22
Probably because people on this site are aware of the likely problems and how to avoid them.
I have heard news reports regularly that pilgrims to the Haj are defrauded. A despicable act to target faithful worshipers, and usually targeted by their coreligionists which is even worse.
Every year there will be a mention in the local press of British tourists who had hoped to get a real bargain on a chalet in Verbier or Zermatt sending off large deposits or even full payments for nonexistent properties. Then they show up, in the middle of peak season, blaming the locals for their problems.
If it looks to good to be true, it is!
Funny, I've never seen reports of tourists from other countries ... but there must be, surely.
SeenItAll
19th Apr 2013, 15:34
I can assure you that the US media is replete with stories about US residents being defrauded by both US- and foreign-based Internet sites offering vacation house bookings. Unfortunately, thievery happens nearly everywhere.
IceKitty
21st Apr 2013, 03:31
It's "DownUnder" too:
Scammed tourists begin class action (http://www.smh.com.au/national/scammed-tourists-begin-class-action-20130420-2i6xe.html)
Remember that making payments to Asia and other regions where the locals don't trust the government owned banks may require less safe methods - e.g. when booking hotels in Vietnam I had to FedEx the money to them, and cross-fingers that I wasn't being scammed :ouch:.