Northern Ireland holidaymakers warned after £155,000 lost in reported fraud

Police say they received 89 reports of holiday fraud from people in Northern Ireland in 2023.

Holidaymakers have been urged to take care (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire)

Holidaymakers in Northern Ireland have been urged to be cautious after more than £155,000 was lost to fraud last year.

Some 89 reports of holiday fraud were received by police in the region in 2023 which amounted to a total reported loss of £155,245 to scammers.

Across the UK as a whole, there were 6,640 reports in 2023, totalling £12.3m in losses.

The figures, released by Action Fraud, show how important it is for those booking holidays to stop and take the time to do their research, police have said.

They have urged that people check that who they are dealing with is legitimate and that if they are targeted by a fraudster to report it.

Detective Chief Inspector Ian Wilson from PSNI’s Economic Crime Unit urged caution.

“It’s natural people want to get a good deal when booking a holiday but what can seem as a bargain holiday, or a good deal online, is all too often the start of a scam,” he said.

“These scams will not only leave people out of pocket, but also scupper their holiday plans.”

Anyone who has lost money in this way, or any type of fraud, is asked to report it to police on 101, to your bank immediately, online at www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

Information and advice is also available at http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/scamwiseni or the ScamwiseNI Facebook page @scamwiseni