Key facts
- Fraudsters are using social media and fake websites to impersonate legitimate businesses and scam holidaymakers.
- Scam adverts for luxury treehouse accommodation impersonating Wolf Wood Treehouses were found on Facebook.
- Victims often discover the scam only upon arrival when the accommodation does not exist.
- One victim reported losing £500 to a fake holiday booking.
- Scammers create fake business pages on platforms like Facebook, with ads reaching thousands of accounts.
- Reporting scam websites to authorities and hosts is a slow process, with new sites quickly replacing taken-down ones.
Fraudsters are exploiting social media platforms like Facebook with tempting adverts and fake websites to con holidaymakers. These scammers impersonate genuine businesses, such as Wolf Wood Treehouses, by stealing images and creating sophisticated-looking websites. Consumers often fall victim when they book holidays through these fake sites, only to discover upon arrival that the accommodation does not exist. The owner of Wolf Wood Treehouses, Sam, reported being impersonated by around 10 websites, with new ones frequently appearing after being taken down. He estimates receiving a couple of calls a week from people who have been scammed or nearly scammed, with one recent victim losing £500. Stacey, another victim, booked a fake holiday for £125 after seeing adverts on Facebook, and was asked for a £260 deposit. Her partner discovered the advertised location only contained old static caravans. The scam ads found by Which? reached an estimated 41,458 accounts on Meta. While platforms like Meta are investigating, scammers continuously evolve their tactics. To avoid such scams, consumers are advised to pay using methods offering protection like credit cards, check company reviews, use reverse image search for listing photos, and verify website addresses.