Clone-a-home holiday scammers rake in £7m
A HOLIDAY home owner was horrified when scammers copied details of her property – and took rentals on it without her knowing.
Mum-of-two Helen Glanville only found out when she got a call from a family in Singapore.
They thought they had a booking on her four-bed house in Newquay, Cornwall, for £3,300 after online snaps were ripped off.
Helen, 55, said: “The guy was weeping down the phone. Sites should seek proof of ownership.”
Holiday experts at consumer group Which? and travel watchdog ABTA say the problem is getting worse because websites fail to check “owners”. The crooks copy details from genuine sites such as airbnb and Owners Direct and list them elsewhere, asking for cash or direct bank transfers.
Last year, 5,826 bogus bookings – netting crooks £7.2million – were reported to Action Fraud, the City of London Police cyber crime unit. Holiday firm Villa Plus said families had arrived at its properties in Greece to find the accommodation occupied. Boss Nick Cooper said: “We were alerted by airport taxi drivers.”
ABTA’s Sean Tipton said: “Some holiday sites do no checks, which is why we’re seeing a rise.” Which? travel editor Rory Boland said: “Much more needs to be done.” you many friends on a trip to parts of some countries (like Iran) and being LGBT, a woman or a different ethnicity could result in problems in many parts of the world.
Here’s how you can avoid problems: ■■Speak to insurers and take out a comprehensive policy including cover for any dangerous sports or winter sports you do. ■■Take a photo of your passport and store copies safely (especially online – but alter the file name!) ■■If going somewhere risky, speak to the UK embassy in that country first and check-in regularly with loved ones. ■■Respect culture, be it dress codes or laying off the booze. ■■Check if medicines are banned. Recent events in Egypt and Dubai show even over-the-counter medicines are outlawed in some places.
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