22 January 2024 , 09:50
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A third of people would eagerly book their holiday without doing proper checks, according to a new survey.
Shockingly, many of us are more interested in securing a "deal" than ensuring that it's legitimate. The common approach of rushing to reserve holidays can make us easy prey for scammers.
Interestingly, while travel agents and airline websites are usually our first port of call, 14% of holiday seekers use social media sites for breaks. This is according to research by Nationwide Building Society.
The study also revealed that almost half of us (44%) do some digging after seeing an online deal with a time limit. Nationwide encourages its customers who might be uncertain about a purchase, to utilise its free scam checker before handing over any money.
If you've fallen victim to a scammer after making a payment, Nationwide assured that unless they'd previously advised not to proceed, you're guaranteed a full reimbursement. Holiday makers should always check Abta or Atol protections and be wary of payment methods.
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Jim Winters, Nationwide's director of economic crime, emphasised the importance of being sensible, commenting: "That age-old adage of 'if it looks too good to be true, it probably is' most certainly applies with holidays do your research and if in doubt get support.
He added: "Our scam checker service is completely free and for the sake of a few minutes on the telephone it could mean you're not getting conned out of your hard-earned money and deserved time away." Censuswide carried out a survey of over 2,000 people across the UK between December 2023 and January 2024.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]