Jail warning to Brits over fake holiday bug claims

HOLIDAYMAKERS returning from their summer break have been warned they face prosecution if they make fake sickness claims against tour operators.

Cowboy claims firms are wrongly telling the public there is no risk if they seek compensation despite not being unwell, according to the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).

It added that people are being bombarded by cold callers with requests to submit claims after they return. The penalties include a fine, criminal record and imprisonment, ABTA said.

Tens of thousands of British tourists have made claims in the past year despite reported sickness levels in resorts remaining stable.

Claims are typically worth around £3,000 to £5,000.

ABTA’s chief executive Mark Tanzer said: ‘People tempted to fabricate holiday sickness in order to make a claim should be aware that this is a crime and that they risk ending up in jail either in the UK or abroad.

‘Whatever a claims firm might say, fake claims are fraud.’

Last month it emerged that Ministry of Justice officers had found 34 unlicensed firms were fuelling a surge in the number of fake claims from Britons.