When we’re booking budget holidays, is increasingly the first port of call.
It’s easy to use, cheap and has a huge number of holiday lets to choose from.
But as its popularity grows, more and more scammers are trying to jump on the bandwagon.
The Financial Ombudsman has seen a number of complaints from Brits wanting to get their money back from an host, Gumtree advertiser or similar.
An Ombudsman spokeswoman explained: “They think they’ve booked a dreamy villa by the beach - only to find once they’ve paid for the accommodation the host has done a runner and isn’t contactable.”
Holidaymakers have lost up to £4,000 in the cases reported to them, she added.
, and the money is released to the host 24 hours AFTER the guest checks in.
But if a fraudster can persuade you to pay without going through Airbnb, you have far less protection.
The Ombudsman spokeswoman said: ““The scam can work by encouraging people, away from a website, to pay the host directly for the accommodation.
“The hosts are often charming, luring people away from the booking site with the offer of a discount or a special rate for paying upfront. So cash is transferred directly into the fraudster’s bank account.”
Because you’ve transferred the money directly, it’s hard for your bank or the Ombudsman to do anything to help you.
Here are the Ombudsman’s tips for protecting yourself when booking through :
Whether it’s directly transferring money for something you are paying for online, or using an online payment system which doesn’t have the secure padlock symbol in the browser, there are some situations that just feel wrong. Double check before doing anything.
Ask friends, colleagues or family members for their opinion. You could also do an internet search to see if the site you are using is mentioned favourably on sites you know and trust.
Look out for warning signs that you could be talking to a fraudster. Does the host use a number of email addresses? Are emails written in poor English with grammatical and spelling errors?
No matter how good the offer sounds, don’t be tempted to pay the host directly. You’ll lose any protection the website offers and even from the bank.
If the accommodation is half the price but sounds better then warning bells should start to ring.
If the reviewer hasn’t reviewed anything else or has posted loads of 5-star reviews that all use similar language this could be a sign they are fake.
If you do decide to pay off site, consider using PayPal or a credit card rather than transferring directly - these methods of payment can offer people more protection.