A third of holidaymakers report an increase in travel fraud on social media in the past year | News
A third (34%) of holidaymakers have seen an increase in potentially fraudulent travel content on social media over the past 12 months, according to new research from global payment services provider emerchantpay.
As fraudsters embrace new technologies such as AI, scams are becoming more and more persuasive. During the high season, the British could increasingly focus on fraud attempts.
Recent research from McAfee shows that more than one in three (38%) travelers have experienced travel-related scams*, using fraudulent tactics such as phishing attacks and the use of AI to direct consumers to illegal booking sites, impersonate travel brands or manipulate online reviews. Meanwhile, more than half (56%) of people believe AI makes it harder to identify scams.**
As a result, consumers are more cautious when booking holidays. Seven in ten (70%) consumers say they are wary of promotional emails related to holidays due to concerns about potential scams, and half (50%) prefer to book holidays with online or major travel companies if they clearly explain how they protect consumers from fraud.
Consumers protect themselves where possible, with 68% believing credit cards are the safest way to pay for bookings or spend money abroad.
Four in ten (40%) travelers report changing their behavior while on holiday due to concerns about financial security, and a similar percentage worry about taking payment cards abroad in case they are lost or stolen.
Fraud in general is on the rise – the latest UK financial figures show that criminals will steal £1.28 billion through payment fraud in 2025, with losses from Authorized Push Payment (APP) fraud increasing by 19% to £576.4 million. Businesses must ensure they provide consumers with secure payment options to protect them from financial fraud and maintain customer trust.
George Ralchev, Head of Risk at emerchantpay, comments: “Rather than looking forward to a much-needed break, holidaymakers are increasingly being targeted by social media scammers looking to take advantage of the peak season.
“Millions of Brits are seeing their social media feeds flooded with potential scams and offers that are unfortunately actually ‘too good to be true’. Concerns around fraud are driving a shift in consumer behavior as travelers look to protect themselves when booking a trip or holiday abroad.
emerchantpay is a global payment service provider (PSP) and acquirer that enables merchants to deliver faster, smarter and more secure payments through simplified and effective payment processing.
