Warning over caravan holiday scams for UK tourists | UK | News

Scammers are popping up everywhere, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to avoid the latest traps. This latest scam alert is aimed at British tourists looking for a caravan holiday.

Scammers are reportedly using Facebook to target people looking for caravan holidays this summer, only to scam them out of money.

One victim, Ann Crofts, 53, discovered her details had been used to open a purchase account after she paid a £75 deposit for a caravan holiday in New Quay, Ceredigion.

Crofts was targeted after posting a message on a Facebook community page looking for holiday properties in west Wales.

A Facebook user contacted her and claimed she had a caravan on a site owned by holiday company Haven, so Ms Crofts began messaging the person directly to discuss the possibility of renting it out.

Surprise surprise, as soon as she found out she was being scammed, the scammer blocked her. She has since reported him to Facebook.

Speaking to the BBC, Croft said: “I live in China and only go home for a few months a year. I just wanted to spend time with my family.”

Another victim, Rebecca, 17, paid a £240 deposit to someone advertising a caravan holiday, only to be told the holiday did not exist after arriving on the site.

She told the BBC: “When I called the police they took my details and all the information I had but were told there wasn’t much they could do because the person who scammed us could be anywhere in the world.

“The last few years have not been easy for us as a family, so losing this money is a big deal for us. Summer is here, and we needed this money.”

Scams often work by tricking the victim into paying a deposit to secure the sale by saying there is a lot of interest and then unfortunately losing their money.

A spokesperson for Facebook owner Meta said it does not allow “fraudulent activity on our platforms and investigates accounts brought to our attention.”

She added: “We continually invest in fraud protection for people who use our platforms and work closely with law enforcement to support investigations.

Which one? Consumer expert Lisa Webb said holiday scams are extremely common, adding: “Whether it’s house rentals, tours of venues or car hire, these are the sorts of things you might be looking for cheaply during a summer holiday.

“That’s not to say that everything out there is a scam, but it’s worth remembering that during the holiday season you’re much more likely to fall victim to these types of scams.”