Police have warned agents to be on their guard after seeing a marked rise in the number of allegations of fraudulent villa bookings in August.
The City of London fraud squad said dozens of consumers were being caught out by fraudsters advertising non-existent properties online. Some holidaymakers only realised the scam when they arrived to find their villa had never existed.
Detective superintendent Bob Wishart from the economic crime department said: “People get carried away with the thought of sun and sand and can end up becoming the victims of quite serious crime.”
He warned agents to be wary of which villa suppliers they work with. “Agents could be sucked in to unwittingly acting on behalf of a potential fraudster.”
Earlier this year Parador Travel Management fell victim when a customer made a booking for a non-existent luxury villa in St Tropez worth £12,000. The firm had to reimburse the customer.
A man appeared in Southwark Crown Court last month charged with money laundering and false representation in connection with this and a string of other frauds.
Last month’s spike in allegations was revealed by intelligence gathered by the new National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, which was launched in June.
“This is a new phenomenon for us and an area of fraud where people are particularly vulnerable. We advise people to book with a reputable agent, but they think they’ll get a better deal online,” said Wishart.
James Whitton, overseas contract manager for trade operator Villa Parade, said agents and consumers were becoming more careful.
“Awareness has increased with people hearing such stories. Agents and customers are telling us that’s why they book with us,” he said.