Free · Sourced to Action Fraud, ABTA & the CAA
Travel scams to watch for
How each scam works, the red flags to spot before you pay, how to protect yourself, and what to do if it happens to you.
FlightLogic's travel scams hub covers 7 scams UK travellers report most — fake flight ticket sites, timeshare and holiday club sales pitches, fake Airbnb and holiday rental listings, airport Wi-Fi and currency exchange scams, fake airport parking sites, and fake flight compensation claims agencies. Each page explains how the scam works, the red flags to watch for, how to protect yourself, and what to do if it happens to you, sourced to Action Fraud, ABTA, and the CAA.
4 min read
Fake ticket sites
Cloned airline websites and too-good-to-be-true fare adverts that take your card details and either issue a fake ticket or nothing at all.
Learn the red flags →4 min read
Timeshare & holiday clubs
High-pressure sales presentations, often disguised as a free gift or prize draw, pushing expensive and hard-to-exit holiday club membership contracts.
Learn the red flags →4 min read
Fake rental listings
Convincing but fabricated or duplicated property listings that take a deposit or full payment for accommodation that does not exist or is not actually available.
Learn the red flags →3 min read
Airport Wi-Fi scams
Fake Wi-Fi hotspots named to look like an airport's official network, set up to intercept your data or push you toward phishing pages.
Learn the red flags →3 min read
Currency exchange rip-offs
Not always outright fraud, but airport exchange counters frequently offer exchange rates and hidden fees that leave travellers with far less currency than expected.
Learn the red flags →3 min read
Fake parking sites
Cloned or fabricated airport parking booking sites that take payment for a space or meet-and-greet service that does not exist.
Learn the red flags →3 min read
Fake claims agencies
Unsolicited calls, texts, or emails claiming you are owed flight compensation, designed to extract personal and financial details rather than actually process a claim.
Learn the red flags →Travel scams FAQ
Where should I report a travel scam in the UK?
Report fraud and cybercrime to Action Fraud (actionfraud.police.uk), the UK's national reporting centre. If a UK travel agent or tour operator is involved, you can also raise it with ABTA (abta.com), and issues involving airlines or ATOL-protected bookings can go to the Civil Aviation Authority (caa.co.uk).
What is the single best way to avoid most travel scams?
Never pay outside a platform's or airline's official checkout, and never pay an upfront fee to "release" money you are supposedly owed. The overwhelming majority of the scams on this page rely on getting you to pay through an unofficial or off-platform channel.
Can my bank get my money back if I fall for a scam?
It depends how you paid. Card payments (especially credit card purchases over £100) have the strongest protection via chargeback or Section 75. Bank transfers are much harder to recover — contact your bank immediately if you have sent money by transfer, as speed significantly affects the chance of recovery.