📋 The Four Main Scams This Summer
🌐 Fake Booking Sites
Lookalike domains with cloned templates and fake SSL padlocks. They steal your card via fake payment pages. Never pay by bank transfer. Use credit cards for Section 75 protection. More detail →
📱 QR Code Scams (Quishing)
Fake QR stickers on parking meters, restaurant tables, EV chargers. £3.5M stolen in 12 months. Peel before you scan — check for stickers placed over the real code. More detail →
🏠 Fake Accommodation Listings
Stolen photos from Booking.com/Airbnb posted on social media at below-market rates. Pressure for immediate bank transfer deposit. Mass last-minute bookings due to Iran war made this the worst year. More detail →
🤖 AI & Deepfake Scams
AI-generated listings, deepfake voice calls, fake booking PDFs with malware. Trust your gut — verify through a separate channel before sending money. More detail →
🚨
Emergency Abroad — Scammed or Hacked on Holiday
⚡️ Immediate
- Freeze cards — call bank 24hr number
- Report fraud to bank
- Change passwords (email first)
- Call 159 — Stop Scams UK
📝 Report
- Local police — get crime ref number
- British Embassy: +44 1908 516666
- reportfraud.org.uk (home)
- Victim Support: 0808 1689 111
🏦 Insurance
- Report to insurer within 24hrs
- Save police report + screenshots
- Check policy covers fraud/cancellation
- Credit card bookings >£100 protected
🛡 Only 18% of victims recover all their money. Act fast.
✅ Prevention Checklist — Before You Book
- Reverse image search every photo on Google Images or TinEye
- Verify the address on Google Maps Street View
- Search for independent reviews — not just on the listing page
- Check ABTA or ATOL protection for package holidays
- Never pay by bank transfer for social media ads
- Use a credit card for bookings over £100 (Section 75 protection)
- Be suspicious of prices significantly below market rate
- Register with FCDO at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
- Set up banking alerts for all transactions over £1
- Save your bank's international number before you travel
🐾 GUARDED BY BULLY — CyberAware UK — Updated 2 July 2026
Sources: NAC Fraud Assessment 2025, ONS, UK Finance, Cifas, Report Fraud, Which?, MSE, The Guardian, thinkmoney, FCDO
Sources: NAC Fraud Assessment 2025, ONS, UK Finance, Cifas, Report Fraud, Which?, MSE, The Guardian, thinkmoney, FCDO