Seven staycation scams to watch out for this weekend (and how to avoid them)

More than 20 million car journeys are set to take place this weekend in what could be the busiest August bank holiday in a decade.

It will be an equally busy weekend for scammers. Holiday scams are usually associated with overseas trips, but people travelling within the UK should be aware of the latest fraudulent schemes in car parks, restaurants and on motorway hard shoulders.

Take a few minutes to familiarise yourself with the most common staycation scams before setting off for the weekend.

1. Car park QR codes

Drivers have been warned to avoid scanning QR codes in car parks, amid a rise in so-called “quishing” scams across the country.

The scam runs as follows: bogus QR codes are stuck onto parking machines in car parks, drivers scan the codes on their mobile phones and are then tricked into entering their card details to make a payment online. These fake barcodes have been spotted in Northumberland, Northamptonshire, South Tyneside and Pembrokeshire, along with other places.

Simon Williams, head of PR and external affairs at RAC, said: “A car park is one of the last places where you’d expect to be caught out by online fraud. Unfortunately, the increasing popularity and ease of using QR codes appears to have made drivers more vulnerable to malicious scammers.”

To rub salt in the wound, after falling foul of the car parking scam, drivers are then receiving a genuine fine, having failed to pay for their parking session through the official channels. Motorists are advised to pay at car parks using cash where possible, or to use legitimate parking apps like RingGo, PayByPhone or JustPark, and to always inspect QR codes before scanning them to see if they have been stuck on.

2. Service station sob stories

This is a scam that you may have encountered on either side of the Channel. Drivers have reported incidents at motorway service stations where they are approached by a driver in distress, asking for money to help them fill up their car with petrol. Usually they say they have left their wallet at home or their credit card isn’t working (or similar) and they will give you their phone number with the promise to repay the loan as soon as they get home. You will, of course, never hear from them again.

3. A phone call from your restaurant

The restaurant reservations site, OpenTable, has warned of a scam where a bad actor calls a restaurant pretending to be from an online reservations platform and asks staff to confirm account information for upcoming bookings. If given the information, the scammer has access to the diner’s details – including their phone number – and will contact them directly. Pretending to be from the restaurant, they ask for credit card details for a “deposit” or other reservation-related purposes.

OpenTable advises: “If you receive a call from a restaurant asking for your credit card details, do not share it – even if you have a booking. Hang up and call the restaurant back directly to confirm their identity and whether or not your credit card details are needed.”

4. The motorway breakdown scam

This one has been going on for a while, but is still worth being aware of. Police have warned of motorists flagging down other cars, often with their hazard lights flashing and bonnets open in precarious places like motorway slip roads or hard shoulders, saying they have broken down and need money to get help. In some instances, the “broken down driver” will even offer their good Samaritan jewellery for low prices in order to get said money.

5. Parking fine emails

Another car parking scam involves fake emails purporting to be parking tickets. Genuine Parking Charge Notices (PCNs) are nearly always posted to the address associated with the licence plate, rather than by email, but not everyone knows this. These emails might include links to view photographs of your car or to read information on an appeal process (these will often be malware links), or options to pay the fine directly. The British Parking Association warns anyone who receives such an email to report it to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre.

6. Fake accommodation deals on social media

You are scrolling on social media and see a post offering a wonderful villa, sold for a 25 per cent discount due to a last-minute cancellation. Perhaps you have found a late deal for a charming cottage on Airbnb, but your host asks you to make the payment off-site to avoid booking fees. Or, you find a perfectly realistic deal on social media and click through to what appears to be a genuine well-known site, and pay up.

Money Saving Expert says these are all examples of classic accommodation scams. “Criminals set up convincing fake websites, hack into legitimate accounts and post scam ads on social media, all in an attempt to steal your cash. In the worst cases, you may turn up only to find the accommodation you booked isn’t available – or doesn’t exist,” they warn.

Beware that fraudsters can create very believable duplicate websites: always check the URL before making a payment, and never make a payment off-platform.

7. The customer service trick

You have booked accommodation or transport through official channels, but you need to contact customer service for some reason. Perhaps you can’t find a confirmation email, you’ve been charged twice, or your plans need to change at the last minute and you’re looking for a refund or rebooking option. After failing to get through to an official customer service line you post on social media and the company quickly replies, offering to help.

These days nearly all reputable companies are shadowed by fake, lookalike accounts, which are known to swoop in with a reply faster than the official channel. Often these accounts will then begin a process to obtain your bank details, whether over the phone or online.

“Scammers make fake online accounts or hack real accounts to commit a range of fraudulent activities,” advises a spokesperson from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). “Many social media sites have a process to verify accounts. If people are unsure or are sent links to information or to make a payment, they should visit the company’s official website and contact customer services directly.”

I think I’ve been scammed, what should I do?

If you think you might have been scammed, you should stop all communication with the suspected scammer immediately. Whether you have lost money yet or not, you should contact your bank immediately if you have passed over your bank details in any capacity. Use the number on the back of your bank card, or a recent bank statement, to inform them of the situation. You can report scams online via Action Fraud’s website, and for further support: contact Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133.