The number of holidaymakers being targeted by cybercriminals has risen by nearly 20% compared to last year, with online fraudsters stealing some \u00a37.2 million from nearly 6,000 unsuspecting travellers over the last 12 months.<\/p>\n
That is the alarming main finding from a new report<\/a> by the London Police\u2019s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, which found that holidaymakers on the receiving end of a scam were likely to lose an average of around \u00a31,200.<\/p>\n The types of fraud uncovered by the study included the targeting of holiday accommodation, where fraudsters conned users by setting up fake websites; compromised official and legitimate accounts, and posted fake adverts on websites and social media.<\/p>\n The booking of airline tickets was also targeted, with fraudsters setting up attacks where a customer are tricked into thinking they are booking a legitimate flight, before receiving a fake ticket or indeed no ticket at all.<\/p>\n Other high-risk customers included those booking sports and religious trips, as well as those booking timeshares and holiday clubs.<\/p>\n In a video<\/a> highlighting the issue, the Association of British Travel Agents, which along with Get Safe Online are raising awareness of the problem of online frausters, cited a case where one traveller had lost around \u00a38,000 after being scammed when booking a holiday villa.<\/p>\n Even ABTA is not immune to being targeted by cybercriminals, with the organization suffering a data breach earlier this year<\/a>, which saw cybercriminals access the personal information of as many as 43,000 customers, including a possible 650 ABTA members.<\/p>\n As a result, industry experts are recommending that consumers remain vigilant when booking a trip away online.<\/p>\n Steve Proffitt, deputy head of Action Fraud, said<\/a>: \u201cAction Fraud has seen a consistent rise in the number of holiday fraud reports made over the past five years.<\/p>\n \u201cWe recommend that people are thorough when researching their travel arrangements and book directly with an airline or hotel, or through a reputable agent.\u201d<\/p>\n