Manchester City and West Ham fans seeking flights and hotels in Istanbul and Prague are being urged to avoid travel scams or booking with an unlicensed company in the rush to support their team.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority is warning supporters to be on the lookout for fraudsters and to check for Atol protection.
The regulator said demand for flights and accommodation to Istanbul for Manchester City’s Champions League Final on June 10 and West Ham’s Europa Conference League final in Prague on June 7 will be on the increase.
Earlier this week, the Atol scheme partnered with Action Fraud to launch a holiday fraud campaign. In the last financial year, Action Fraud received 6,457 reports of holiday fraud, amounting to more than £15 million lost.
More: Action Fraud reports sharp rise in holiday scams
The most frequent holiday frauds are clone comparison websites, airline websites and holiday websites.
The CAA urges fans to check whether their booking will be protected by Atol, buy travel insurance and ignore unsolicited emails, texts, social media or calls with offers.
Michael Budge, Head of Atol, said: “Unfortunately, big football games often kick off particularly focused scams, including fake deals being posted online and criminals posing as reputable travel agents. We saw the impact this had last year for Liverpool fans.
“Fans should check via our website if the company is Atol-licensed and that their trip is financially protected by Atol before booking, but also take other appropriate steps such as using a credit card, taking out travel insurance and being mindful of website and social media scams.
“We don’t want to see people score an own goal and lose their hard-earned money by falling foul of fraud.
“We work closely with Action Fraud, Trading Standards and the police to make sure action is taken where necessary to stop this from happening.”
Editorial picture credit: Vicky Jirayu/Shutterstock.com