Stop Scammers from banking a holiday profit

 

 

With Bank Holiday weekends popping up on the calendar and peak holiday season just  around the corner, Bank of Ireland is urging consumers to be ever vigilant when booking holiday accommodation to avoid the scams that typically increase during Spring and Summer months.

Allison Ewing, Fraud Manager, Education & Awareness, Bank of Ireland UK said: “Scammers don’t take time off and are always looking at ways to take your money.  Holiday scams can be devastating and costly, as you may arrive at your destination before becoming aware that it’s a scam, so it’s really important that consumers stay vigilant and Stop, Think, Check before making any accommodation payments.”

“Bank of Ireland offers a 24/7 fraud telephone support for customers on 0800 121 7790, available every day of the year. We encourage our customers to save this number in their phone, especially before they go on holiday, so they have easy access to it if they ever need it.”

To help avoid holiday heartache, Bank of Ireland is reminding consumers:

Stop:

  • Don’t let anyone make you feel rushed or pressured into making a payment.
  • Don’t click on links from social media, emails or text messages – always visit the official website directly.
  • Don’t move the booking off official sites – when contacting property owners on sites such as Booking.com, we have seen a number of cases where owners have offered discounted prices for customers to move off the site and book with them directly which later transpire to be fraudulent.

Think:

  • Is this deal too good to be true? Often it probably is – take time to confirm the offer is genuine, check reviews and prices on independent websites.
  • Are you making a secure payment on a trusted platform?  Avoid making payments by bank transfer as these often cannot be claimed back.
  • Before you make a payment, is there anything else you can do to verify the price, property and owner?

Check:

  • Check any website links – lots of scammers will set up websites that look authentic – always double check website links.
  • Do your research before making any purchase, especially if booking online – consider reviews, check online maps to make sure the property exists.
  • Are they members of a recognised trade association? Don’t trust a logo on the website you’re booking through; be sure to check with the trade body directly.

If you do fall victim to a holiday accommodation scam, it’s important to be vigilant to re-targeting by scammers who may pose as bank or booking sites offering a refund.  Be sure you know who you are speaking to before giving out your bank account details and remember if it’s a genuine caller they won’t mind you taking the time to verify who they are.

For detailed advice and information on how to stay safe from all types of financial fraud, visit the Security & Fraud area of Bank of Ireland UK’s website.

Anyone who suspects they have been a victim of fraud should contact their bank immediately so that the bank can try to stop the fraud and where possible recover funds. Bank of Ireland customers can call the Fraud Team 24/7 on the Freephone line 0800 121 7790.