If you plan to book your vacation soon, beware of this formidable trap that makes many victims. Everyone is concerned, but this year, these people are the privileged target of crooks.
The long weekends in May are an opportunity for the French to blow a little, to recharge their batteries, to go with family or friends. If some have already anticipated their summer vacation, others have not yet had time to think about their summer destination. But that shouldn’t be long. As early as May or June, some reservations are already booked and everyone rude on housing or all -inclusive stays. But beware, this period is conducive to the crooks, reminds us of Luis Corrons, cybersecurity expert at Norton.
Indeed, if you are tempted by dream destinations at attractive prices, it can be a well -established scam. And generally, the victims only realize the deception once arrived at their vacation spot. “”Travel-related scams are unfortunately very widespread, in particular the approach of the long weekends in May and summer holidays. These scams take several forms, but one of the most frequent concerns fraudulent accommodation“We specify the expert. These are false booking sites, misleading announcements of vacation rentals or even false travel agencies claiming to help you find the ideal accommodation.
To achieve their ends, “The crooks create extremely convincing websites and platforms – more and more often with the help of artificial intelligence – which perfectly imitate existing hotels, villas or complexes. Their goal is to attract travelers with attractive offers to dream destinations, often at unbeatable prices. THE
victims often discover the scam until their arrival, when they realize that their reservation has never existed“Add Luis Corrons. According to a study by Norton in early 2025, there would be an average of 4 scam attempts per second targeting the French. Among those who have been victims in the last 12 months, 76 % have undergone financial loss, with an average amount of 808.68 euros in France.
Everyone is therefore concerned, but is new this year: these scams are increasingly targeting high -end holidays. With the popularity of series as The White Lotusthe interest in luxury villas, complexes by the sea and exclusive experiences are constantly growing. Cybercriminals have understood this and adapt their scams accordingly, by taking up the codes of luxury tourism to better deceive Internet users. This year, new victims are therefore the privileged target of the crooks: “The scammers know where the money is, and this boom naturally attracts their attention. In addition, luxury trips display higher prices, which pushes the crooks to redouble creativity to better trap Internet users” specifies the expert.
But then, what if you end up on the vacation rental site without any reservation? “”The first thing to do is to bring together all the proofs of the reservation (e-mails, confirmations, payment proofs) and to contact your bank as soon as possible to report fraud. A refund can be possible, depending on the situation“Reassures Luis Corrons. It is also important to report the scam to the reservation platform concerned (if possible), then to file a complaint either on the French consumer protection platform signalconso, or on the cybermalveillance.gouv.fr site, according to the nature of the scam. “The more the fraud is reported quickly, the more possible it is to limit the consequences and to prevent others from being victims in turn”, advises the specialist.
Finally, so as not to be trapped, remember to consult the online opinions. If an ad seems to you “too good to be true”, beware, and be all the more vigilant if you are pressing to book: “more than a available room”, “limited duration” … Any offer with a countdown must arouse suspicion. And in general, do not accept payment outside the secure platforms, check the URLs and the legal notices, the authenticity of the site and pay attention to the details.
