Barclays warns consumers of villa fraud

Barclays has issued a warning to holidaymakers not to be taken in by scams when buying villa holidays.

It says 37% of villa scams, reported by its customers, result in losses of between £1,000 and £5,000.

Its research, which also questioned more than 2,000 consumers, found that in 59% of reported cases the victims were women.

It also found 36% of victims were aged 30 to 44 years old.

More than half (55%) said they would not be put off booking a holiday even if it seemed ‘too good to be true’.

More worryingly, 14% said they would still book holiday accommodation despite knowing there was a risk of being scammed and 26% would be prepared to put themselves at risk in the hope of getting a good deal.

The research also found 43% would not hear alarm bells if they were asked to pay for a holiday via bank transfer.

Head of digital safety, Ross Martin, said: “Trying to escape those January blues may seem like an appealing prospect, but fraudsters are preparing to take advantage of sun seekers at this time of year.

“We must all be aware of the risks and make sure we are carrying out proper safety checks to ensure our online security and enjoy a scam-free holiday.”

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