#SecureSummer – Purchase Fraud – Social media adverts for fake holidays – 3 of 5
Click Safe. Travel smart.
Adverts for fake holidays on social media
This summer, criminals have been creating adverts on social media advertising fake holidays. They use stolen images and information to make very realistic and cheap offers of holidays that don’t exist. They take you money then disappear.
This is called Purchase Fraud.
Think twice before clicking on that Facebook ad. Social media sites don’t verify adverts or paid promotion posts, so anyone can create an advert to sell something even if it doesn’t exist. If an advert does interest you, the safest way to investigate it is to search the company outside of social media. So instead of clicking the link in an advert, search the name of the company in your search engine or internet browser and go to their website through there.
How can I stay safe around this?
The safest way to book a holiday is through a trusted, reputable travel agent, or follow these tips to stay safe around fake holiday listings:
- Be suspicious of cheap holidays – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Don’t click links in adverts on social media – instead search the name of the company in your search engine or internet browser, visiting their website directly as opposed to through social media.
- Use URL void to check the reputation of the website
- Check reviews for the company or website on Trustpilot
- Pay using a secure payment method. A credit card is the safest way to pay as the Consumer Credit Act protects your payment, but PayPal or digital wallets like Google Pay and Apple Pay are also safe to use.
How can I learn more?
You can learn more about Purchase Fraud by reading our EasyRead Easy-Read-Purchase-Fraud.pdf
You can learn more about Fake adverts on Social Media through take our My.Lead course Cyber: Staying safe on social media – Lead Scotland
or by watching our BSL video Staying safe on social media – YouTube
For more advice about holiday scams: Stay safe and secure your summer – Cyber Scotland
Or keep an eye on our social media as we share more top tips this summer.
Follow us on Facebook , Instagram @leadscotland or LinkedIn.
➡️Click for the next post in our #SecureSummer series
⬅️Click to go back to the first #SecureSummer overview post
For organisations
Lead Scotland are committed to delivering high quality, accessible, and free digital skills and cyber training, especially to disabled people, carers, marginalised groups, and organisations that work with these groups. Let us know what you are interested in and we can organise a session (or more) to make sure you, or the people you support, are safe online. Register your interest in this online form.
Or get in touch for a chat by emailing us at cyberproject@lead.org.uk
