Don’t be fooled! Stop them stealing YOUR cash

CARRY out extra checks when booking a property online. Do an internet search of the property and its owner. Make contact by phone. This may not be foolproof but it can help to expose a conman.

CHECK for online reviews. If there are none, be suspicious.

WATCH out for bogus websites. Scammers pinch photos and property details from legitimate websites and then change a few details to prevent detection. Nick Cooper, of long-established villa booking company Villa Plus, campaigns to close down such operations.

His latest target is ‘Greek Villa Escapes’, which, among others, advertises Villa Stacey in Corfu. This is actually Villa Mara, a property rented through Villa Plus.

Use reverse image search software to check if properties are authentic. Also, keep an eye on sly changes to genuine email addresses, for example .co.uk to .co.com. WHERE possible, pay by credit card or debit card as you may get your money back if things go wrong. A bank-to-bank transfer offers no protection.

BOOK package holidays through members of trade bodies such as the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) or those which offer protection under the Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL). Verify membership at abta.com and caa.co.uk.

APPLY for a free European Health Insurance Card, giving UK travellers state healthcare in Europe, at ehic.org. Copycat websites charge at least £35.

RENEW or replace a passport for £72.50 at the official website gov.uk or £82.25 if you use the Post Office’s Passport Check and Send service. Use a copycat website and it will cost an extra £25 at least.

SHUN websites charging over the odds for an ESTA – the travel visa for the US. It costs just $14 though the US Department of Homeland Security website at esta.cbp.dhs.gov.