Brits booking holidays to Malaga and Florida are most likely to be scammed by online hackers – here’s how to avoid falling victim
BRITS booking their summer holidays are falling victim to online scams, according to latest reports.
One in five have been scammed, or nearly scammed, when booking their trip online.
According to security software firm McAfee, over a quarter (27 per cent) have been tricked online, only to find out when they turned up at their holiday rental.
Some of the destinations most at risk are Malaga and Florida, both being popular holiday locations for Brits.
Common scams includes fake holiday websites, offering too-good-to-be-true deals.
This can result in paying thousands of pounds for holiday rental, only to find out too late that it doesn't exist.
CON-AIR Brit holidaymakers were conned out of £7m last year – here’s how you can spot the travel scams
The report found that half of victims were scammed between £1,000 and £3,000, making it a very expensive mistake.
It isn't just fake websites and platforms to be wary of - using public WiFi could lead to problems.
If the network is not secure, it could easily be hacked, leading to stolen data and personal information.
Brits admitted to using public internet services to send e-mails (56 per cent) and manage money (32 per cent), all of which could be intercepted by criminals.
With 12 per cent of people admitting they don't know how to check if a website is safe, McAfee have revealed how to avoid falling victim.
Raj Samani, Chief Scientist and McAfee fellow, explained: "We strongly advise people to validate deals, holiday rentals and flights directly via trusted brands’ websites, instead of clicking on links and pop-ups offering bargains.
"Once they’ve validated its authenticity, all communication and payment should be conducted via that trusted platform to help keep personal and financial information out of hackers’ hands."
How to avoid being scammed
1. Look for the tick before you click. Only click on websites that your security software has authorised as being safe.
2. Make all payments via a trusted platform. Fraudsters may try to lure you away from a trusted platform with the temptation of discounted rates. Holidaymakers should keep all communications, bookings and payments on trusted platforms to help protect them from phishing and other fraud.
3. Always connect with caution. If you have to conduct transactions on a public Wi-Fi connection use a virtual private network (VPN) to help keep your connection secure.
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