Barclays in holiday villa fraud alert

● Bank warns bargain-hunters

Holidaymakers looking to beat the January blues by booking a getaway are being warned to watch out for villa scams which can result in victims losing thousands of pounds.

Barclays said more than a third (37%) of reported villa scams result in losses of between £1,000 and £5,000.

Its figures come from customers who have reported such scams directly to Barclays.

Holiday villa scams can happen when criminals hijack the details of overseas villas, or use fake details, to trick unsuspecting holidaymakers into transferring them some money.

Ross Martin, Barclays head of digital safety, said: “Trying to escape those January blues may seem like an appealing prospect, but fraudsters are preparing to take advantage of sun-seekers at this time of year.

“We must all be aware of the risks and make sure we are carrying out proper safety checks to ensure our online security and enjoy a scam-free holiday.”

As well as looking at its own data on villa scams between April and October 2017, Barclays also surveyed more than 2,000 consumers.

It found that more than half (55%) of people said they would not be put off booking a holiday even if it seemed “too good to be true”.

Some 14% would still book holiday accommodation despite knowing there was a risk of being scammed, and a quarter (26%) would be prepared to put themselves at risk just in hope of bagging a summer bargain.

Mark Tanzer, Abta chief executive said: “Abta sees at first-hand the damage caused by travel fraudsters with the many devastated customers who contact us after they find out their much-anticipated holiday or trip to visit loved ones may not actually exist.

“The cost to them is not just financial – this crime causes very real disappointment and emotional distress.

“Check and follow the tips and advice on abta.com and you will not fall victim to these unscrupulous individuals.

“But if you are unlucky enough to do so, always report it to Action Fraud so that they can put these crooks out of business.”