A mum has told of how she “died inside” after being scammed before a family holiday in Cornwall.
Natasha Shek found an advert on social media for a property to stay in.
The single mother from Lingfield in Surrey made ID checks on what she thought was its owner, before paying him a £280 deposit.
But it turned out that they did not own it, and Ms Shek and her family were left with nowhere to stay.
She told the BBC: “It was sickening.”
Ms Shek added: “I suddenly died inside, because we had a week to go and we had nowhere booked.
“My heart sunk and I just felt so disappointed with myself. It was the fact I had fallen victim to a scam.”
Natasha said that she had spoken on the phone to a man who claimed to be the owner.
She asked to see proof of his identity, as well as a utility bill for the property. He provided these, and Ms Shek paid a deposit.
The rest of the money for the stay was to be paid on arrival.
Then, as the holiday approached, Natasha said that the man stopped responding to her messages.
Natasha reported what had happened to the police, and managed to get her money back from her bank.
She then booked different accommodation.
Expert advice
Action Fraud has issued advice to bear in mind when booking holiday accomodation.
Experts say that you should not reply to unsolicited emails, texts, social media or calls with holiday offers. Links and attachments in emails may lead to malicious websites or download viruses.
It is advised that you should book a holiday directly with an airline or hotel, or through a reputable agent, checking that they are a member of the Association of British Travel Agents.
Action Fraud adds: “If you decide to deal directly with the property owner or a letting agent, ask them questions about the booking, room, location and area.
“Don’t book on websites that don’t have a padlock icon (https) in the address bar, and be extra cautious if you’re asked to pay using bank transfer or cash; pay by credit or debit card if you can.”
