With technology continually developing, fraudsters are getting smarter and can be virtually everywhere. The police have launched a national warning as fraudsters are targeting holidays, concerts, and festivals this summer.
Be on your guard when online as fraudsters are ready to scam you out of your money by pretending to advertise tickets for popular summer events like festivals and major sporting events or selling fake accommodation and holiday packages via different channels of social media. The saying is true, that if something looks too good to be true it probably is, so you need to keep smart and not be fooled by these online “deals”.
The police have now released a new guide called the Little Book of Big Scams which has been created to help people avoid being fooled by the latest swindles. It warns you about the 19 most common scams to look out for and gives practical guidance on how to spot them and what to do if you or someone you know falls victim. It is extremely important to report fraud when it happens.
How can I keep myself safe?
- Always pay for holidays, vouchers, theme park tickets, concerts, and sporting events via credit card. Paying via credit card will give you additional purchase/ financial protection from your bank in the case that you have been scammed.
- Always be suspicious of paying via bank transfer. If you are not convinced by something don’t go through with it and question why.
- Ensure any holiday bookings are covered with ATOL (Air Travel Organiser’s License) protection. Did you know, you can look up the membership number of a travel agent and contact ATOL directly to check the legitimacy of the company you are about to use.
- When shopping online always make sure you are using a secure site by checking for the ‘S’ in the web address e.g. https://
- When paying for something online look out for the padlock symbol in the web address which shows the connection is encrypted and any data transferred such as your credit card numbers can’t be intercepted or tampered with
