Lincoln Travel Agent warning holidaymakers to beware of scammers this Black Friday
Last year 65 reports of holiday fraud were made to Lincolnshire Police
Ahead of the busiest time of year for booking holidays, people across Lincolnshire are being warned to beware of scammers selling holidays that don’t exist, or getting caught out by hidden costs and extras.
6\5 reports of holiday fraud were made to Lincolnshire Police in 2023, adding up to a total of £130,000 lost.
Matt Philips is the Co Owner of independent agent Travel Chaps in Lincoln - he says a big thing is the hidden costs:
"I think people get hooked in with the price, and it's that old chestnut of sometimes it's too good to be true, and just ask the questions why. So, do your research, whether it's looking at the reviews or getting recommendations or referrals and just make sure you get that APT and ATOL protection.
"Sometimes in the small print it'll say predicted pricing, so someone will pay a deposit, then a month or three months down the line, the company will say 'we need some more money'. So, someone like ourselves or most good, legitimate travel agents will only work with guaranteed pricing and know it's all secure. But I don't think some people see that, they just get hooked up into the magic of 'I'm going to go do that and it's really cheap'. But it's not always true."
He added that since Covid, he does feel people are more careful:
"I think people are a lot more cautious now of money, some got their fingers burnt with things like Covid, not everyone got their money back when they were promised they were going to. Also, people want that person on the end of the phone, they don't want a robot and they don't want a call centre so someone like ourselves, offers that protection and that security."
In total last year, 6,640 reports of holiday fraud were made to Action Fraud with holiday makers losing a combined total of £ 12.3 million.
Meanwhile, millions of Brits will either be using this week’s Black Friday sales or the traditional Christmas and New Year holiday deals to book their dream family getaway for next year.
Recent data shows that on average Brits are planning on spending £2,525 of their hard-earned cash on their next summer holiday.
So to find out more about how to avoid getting scammed, and to know more about Travel Chaps, go to their website here.
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