Hackers target online holiday bookings and steal over £2 million

The average loss per holiday maker targeted was £889

Booking holiday online can be risky (Fairfax Media via Getty Images)

Holiday bookings were the target of £2.2 million of online crime last year, according to a new report.

Fraudsters are using fake websites, adverts and email scams and are also hacking into the accounts of owners on accommodation sites, according to City of London Police.

City of London Police Head of the Economic Crime, Detective Chief Superintendent, Dave Clark, said: “The internet has revolutionised the way we look for and book our holidays.

“The unfortunate reality is that it is also being exploited by fraudsters who use online offers of accommodation and flights that do not exist or promising bookings that are never made to rip off unsuspecting holidaymakers.”

Family holidays are at risk from fraudsters (Getty)

There were over 1,500 cases of holiday booking fraud reported in 2014 - often holiday makers found that the villas and apartments they had booked were in fact non-existent, or have never been booked.

The most targeted areas have been: holiday accommodation, airline tickets, sports or religious trips and timeshares.

The average loss per holiday maker was noted by the report to be a substantial £889, with one person reporting a loss of £62,000 in a time-share related incident.

The study also showed the fraudsters to be most active around Christmas and summer holiday bookings.

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Bank transfer and cash are the most risky methods of payment, with redress often possible in the case of credit or debit card payments.

Mark Tanzer, ABTA Chief Executive, said: “Holiday fraud is a particularly distressing form of fraud as the loss to the victim is not just financial but it can also have a high emotional impact.

“Many victims are unable to get away on a long awaited holiday or visit to loved ones and the financial loss is accompanied by a personal loss.

“Every year we are contacted by members of the public who have been the victims of fraudsters, the majority through online scams.”