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January 22, 2026
January blues? Longing for an escape to the sun? Perfect timing for criminals to cash in
This is one of three key months when fraudsters ramp up the number of scams to trap travellers into paying for a ‘bargain holiday’ … that doesn’t exist
TL;DR
- Scammers target peak holiday booking months (January, June, July) with fake deals on social media.
- Advertisements are often copies of legitimate sites or created using AI, offering prices significantly lower than expected.
- Victims are pressured to pay via bank transfer, losing protections offered by credit cards.
- Average losses to these scams are around £3,500.
- Tips to avoid scams include starting bookings on reputable websites, checking URLs, and being wary of urgency tactics.
- If defrauded, contact your bank immediately and then Action Fraud.
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