Have you planned a summer holiday over the next few months? Scammers might be trying to take advantage. Here are the red flags you need to be aware of so that you can avoid falling for the fake holiday cancellation scam.
‘Unfortunately, your holiday has been cancelled’
The fake holiday cancellation scam starts with a phishing email, text or phone call, where a perpetrator will inform you that your holiday booking, flight or accommodation has been cancelled. The ‘refund agent’ will then ask for your bank information, in order to ‘process a refund’ for you; or alternatively, will offer to book you an alternative holiday, flight or accommodation that doesn’t exist.
Sometimes these scams will follow a significant hacking attempt of a big business, where your details have been sold on the dark web. In these cases, the phishing attempt can be very targeted; the perpetrator might know for a fact that you’ve booked a flight to Italy, or some accommodation in Spain. Sometimes they might not know anything at all about your booking, and rely on you to fill in the blanks.
Regardless of the story that the perpetrator uses, the aim is to get your bank details. Once the perpetrator has them, they can then be sold on the dark web, or be used immediately to steal funds, make transfers, purchases or open further accounts in your name. When you have willingly provided your bank information to a hacker, it’s also very difficult to get the money back.
What makes this scam so successful?
The fake holiday cancellation scam is particularly successful because, like many phishing scams, it encourages a person to panic. Finding out that your holiday is cancelled weeks before you’re due to go is incredibly stressful, and can push us into a kind of fight or flight. This shuts down the cognitive reasoning part of our brain, which means we’re less likely to slow down, and think things through.
After panicking the victim, perpetrators of this scam then immediately offer a solution; either a refund (sometimes with the offer of a little extra money to sweeten the pot), or an alternative holiday (sometimes at a higher price point than your original booking). Remember, phishing attacks target people who are, or who can be made vulnerable; and a person who has just been told that their summer is ruined is highly vulnerable.
Staying safe from holiday cancellation scams
There are a few things that you can do in order to keep yourself safe from these kinds of holiday scams.
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Check the terms and conditions
When you’ve booked flights, a holiday or accommodation, make sure you understand the circumstances in which you’ll be refunded, and how you’ll receive that refund. -
Book travel insurance
Purchasing travel insurance means that you’re covered if something in your holiday is genuinely cancelled. This provides that extra layer of security, just in case. -
Think, don’t rush
If you’re contacted by someone stating that they are a refund agent, don’t rush in. Don’t provide any information to them until you’re sure that they are who they say they are. -
Don’t click the link
When you receive an email claiming that your booking has been cancelled, do not click any links within the email. These links could take you to fake holiday websites, or be loaded with malware. Instead, access the website using information you’ve found yourself, and confirm the details there. -
Call them directly
One of the best ways to ensure that the information you’re being provided with is genuine is to contact the holiday provider directly, using information that you have found (not that has been provided by the caller/email). If your holiday has been cancelled, they will be able to confirm this with you. -
Don’t cancel your Airbnb
If someone has contacted you via Airbnb to state that they’re no longer able to offer you accommodation, and requesting you cancel your booking, do not do this. When you’re using Airbnb, the host should cancel your booking if they’re unable to offer it to you; this means you’ll receive your full refund, rather than half.
