Holiday accommodation scams 2026: how to spot a fake listing before you lose money

With summer holidays in full swing and a lot of people booking later than usual this year, fraudsters are having a field day. New research published today found that a third of UK travellers have seen an increase in potential travel scams on social media in 2026, and consumer experts are warning that the combination of last-minute bookings, unfamiliar platforms and the pressure to secure something quickly is creating exactly the conditions scammers exploit best.

Here is what to look for before you hand over any money, and what to do if things have already gone wrong.

Why scams are rising this summer

The increase in travel scams in 2026 is not accidental. Many families delayed booking holidays because of uncertainty around the Iran war and its impact on flights and costs, which means a large number of people are searching for last-minute availability right now. Last-minute bookers are more likely to make quick decisions, less likely to do thorough checks, and more likely to find that mainstream platforms have sold out — pushing them toward unfamiliar or unregulated listings on social media.

George Ralchev, head of risk at payment service provider emerchantpay, which commissioned the research, said holidaymakers were being targeted by social media scammers looking to take advantage of the peak travel season. The research, carried out by Opinium in May among 2,000 UK adults, found that seven in ten people said they were wary of promotional emails related to holidays because of potential scams, and two-fifths said they had changed their behaviour on holiday because of financial safety concerns.

How to check whether a holiday listing is genuine

These checks take a few minutes each and can save you thousands of pounds.

Do a reverse image search on every photograph

This is the single most effective check available and the one most people skip. Lisa Webb, consumer law expert at Which?, recommends using a reverse image search to check whether photographs have been taken from a legitimate website and repurposed for a fake listing. To do this on Google, open images.google.com, click the camera icon and upload or paste the image. If the same photograph appears on multiple different listings or on a hotel or rental site unrelated to the one you are looking at, walk away.

Check the property on an online map

Webb also recommends checking the property's location on an online map to verify it actually exists. Paste the address into Google Maps or Street View. If the address does not resolve to a residential property, shows something entirely different, or the street simply does not exist, that is a clear warning sign.

Look for independent reviews away from the listing itself

Reviews on the listing itself can be fabricated. Search the property address or name separately and look for reviews on independent platforms. If a property has been genuinely rented out before, there will usually be a trail of it somewhere. A complete absence of any independent mention is worth treating cautiously, particularly for higher-value bookings.

Check whether the company is ABTA or ATOL protected

Holidaymakers booking package holidays should check whether the company is a member of ABTA, the trade association for UK travel agents and tour operators. Anyone booking a package deal that includes a flight should also check whether they are covered under the ATOL financial protection scheme. ABTA membership can be verified at abta.com and ATOL at caa.co.uk/atol-protection. Both are free to check and take under a minute.

Never pay by bank transfer for anything booked through social media

Webb's advice on payment is unambiguous: always book through official, trusted channels and never pay by bank transfer for anything advertised on social media. Bank transfers are the preferred payment method for scammers because they are the hardest to reverse. Credit card payments and payments through reputable booking platforms carry consumer protections that bank transfers do not. If a seller insists on bank transfer only, that alone is reason enough not to proceed.

Be wary of prices that look significantly below market rate

Fake listings are often priced to attract attention. If a villa that would normally cost £3,000 a week is being advertised for £900, the most likely explanation is not a bargain - it is a scam. Checking comparable legitimate listings on established platforms gives you a sense of what a real price looks like for that destination and property type.

Is it safe to pay for a holiday by bank transfer?

The short answer is no. When you pay by bank transfer, the money leaves your account immediately and goes directly to the recipient. If they are a fraudster, your bank cannot stop or reverse it once it has gone.

Bank transfer offers no protection against fraud and should never be used in transactions where you do not completely trust the recipient. Always pay by debit card, or preferably a credit card, for greater protection if something goes wrong.

If a seller insists on bank transfer only, that is a red flag, not an inconvenience. Legitimate holiday companies all accept card payments. Credit card payments over £100 give you Section 75 protection, making your card provider jointly liable if the holiday does not exist. Debit cards give you access to the chargeback scheme. Bank transfers give you neither.

Does your bank protect you if you are scammed?

More than most people realise, yes, but there are conditions worth knowing about.

Since October 2024, all UK banks are legally required to reimburse victims of Authorised Push Payment fraud, which is when you are tricked into sending money to a scammer by bank transfer. The maximum reimbursement is £85,000, covering over 99% of claims, and your bank must pay out within five business days of you reporting it.

There are two exceptions. You will not be reimbursed if you were complicit in the fraud or acted with gross negligence, a very high bar that being deceived by a convincing scam does not meet. You also have 13 months from the date of payment to make your claim, so even if you discover the fraud later, you are still covered within that window.

The protections apply to UK bank-to-bank transfers only, not overseas payments or transfers made before October 2024. If your bank rejects your claim, escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service at financial-ombudsman.org.uk, which is free and can award up to £430,000.

Does travel insurance cover holiday booking scams?

Usually not, but it depends on your policy and what went wrong.

Most standard travel insurance policies exclude losses where you voluntarily transferred money to a fraudster, even if you were deceived into doing so. Your first port of call is your bank, not your insurer.

However, some policies do help in related ways. If you arrive at your destination to find no accommodation, many policies cover emergency hotel costs and additional travel expenses even if they will not refund the original fraud. Higher-tier policies sometimes include specific fraud cover, so it is worth checking your policy wording before you travel rather than after something goes wrong.

If you booked a package holiday through an ATOL-protected operator that subsequently collapsed, ATOL protection covers your costs regardless of what your travel insurance says.

What to do if you think you have been scammed

If you have already paid for accommodation that you are now concerned may not be genuine, act quickly. Speed genuinely matters here.

Call your bank immediately on the number on the back of your card and explain what has happened. Ask them to try to recall the payment if it was a bank transfer, or to initiate a chargeback if you paid by debit or credit card. Banks have improved their processes for handling authorised push payment fraud in recent years, but the sooner you call the better the chances of recovery.

If you paid by credit card and the booking was over £100, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act makes your credit card provider jointly liable for the loss alongside the seller. This is one of the strongest consumer protections available in the UK and applies even if you only paid a deposit on the card.

Anyone who believes they have lost money to a holiday booking scam should report it to Action Fraud in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or to Police Scotland in Scotland. This creates a formal record of the fraud and supports any subsequent claim. Report to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

If your holiday is coming up and you are still not sure

If you have already booked something and are uncertain whether it is genuine, contact the property through a method you have found independently rather than through the details provided in the listing. Search for the property or the owner separately. If the booking was made through a platform, contact the platform's customer service team and ask them to verify the listing is active and legitimate. Reputable platforms including Airbnb and Booking.com have fraud teams specifically for this purpose and will respond quickly if you raise a concern before travel.

Useful contacts

• Report a holiday scam: Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040

• Report in Scotland: Police Scotland at 101

• Check ABTA membership: abta.com

• Check ATOL protection: caa.co.uk/atol-protection

• Financial Ombudsman Service: financial-ombudsman.org.uk or 0800 023 4567

• Free consumer advice: Citizens Advice at citizensadvice.org.uk or 0800 144 8848