HOW TO PREVENT ONLINE HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION BOOKING FRAUD
- Always book a holiday apartment through a secure website which should have a padlock symbol on the left of the search bar followed by a URL which should start with https:// “S” means secure
- Check the address of the property in Google maps to determine if the property exists
- Call or email the owner directly to ask questions about the property
- Check out the reviews on sites like Tripadvisor to see what others are saying about the property
- Do a reverse image search on Google to verify if the property is genuine or the picture has been used on different websites with different descriptions
- Type in the address of the property into Google search bar to see if anybody has had a bad experience whilst trying to book the same property and has mentioned it
- Never pay for a holiday rental property via Moneygram, western Union or any other money transfer platform
- Always ask for a written terms and conditions contract between you and the owner of the property in regards to deposits and payment terms.
