0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you - who has left you feeling ripped off
0:00:04 > 0:00:05when it comes to your holidays?
0:00:05 > 0:00:10And you came back with a catalogue of travel disasters.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Obviously, I'm not going to risk my child's life,
0:00:12 > 0:00:14so I had to get off the flight.
0:00:14 > 0:00:19I am absolutely devastated for my grandson, who's not getting the holiday
0:00:19 > 0:00:21I wanted him to have.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23Whether it's a deliberate rip-off,
0:00:23 > 0:00:26a simple mistake or a catch in the small print,
0:00:26 > 0:00:30we'll find out why you're out of pocket and what you can do about it.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Your stories, your money.
0:00:33 > 0:00:34This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Hello, and thank you so much for joining us once again on Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Now, this series comes from sunny Tenerife, and this is where we're
0:00:44 > 0:00:48looking into some of the problems that you've had with holidays and travel.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52And today's programme is a reminder that, just because you're on holiday,
0:00:52 > 0:00:54it doesn't mean that the fraudsters are taking a break as well.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Sadly not. Indeed,
0:00:56 > 0:01:00we're going to be hearing about holidays that have been left in tatters by
0:01:00 > 0:01:02some really nasty scams,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05some of which have left the people involved out of pocket to the tune
0:01:05 > 0:01:06of thousands of pounds.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10And what's really distressing is that they no longer have any idea about
0:01:10 > 0:01:14who they can trust the next time they come to book a trip away.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Well, as we investigate exactly what's gone on,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20one thing you can rely on is that we're going to have all the advice
0:01:20 > 0:01:24you need to steer you away from the same kind of situations so that,
0:01:24 > 0:01:25when you're booking a holiday,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29you don't end up sending your money straight into the grubby little paws
0:01:29 > 0:01:31of someone who's spinning you a line.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38Coming up, how fraudsters hijacked the details of villas that do exist
0:01:38 > 0:01:43to trick people into handing over hundreds of pounds to book ones that don't.
0:01:43 > 0:01:44It was heartbreaking.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48I don't cry but, quite honestly, I was close to tears.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52And we're on the trail of the Tenerife lawyer supposedly helping
0:01:52 > 0:01:55time-share owners to win a Spanish court case.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Will his office be where he says it is?
0:01:58 > 0:02:02"Calle Duque de la Torre." Calle Duque de la Torre!
0:02:03 > 0:02:04Just got to find number 29 now.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Now, several times before on this programme,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14we've heard from people who've booked luxurious-looking villas abroad
0:02:14 > 0:02:17only to discover too late that they had been scammed.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21Those villas either didn't exist at all or, if they did,
0:02:21 > 0:02:23no reservation had actually been made.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27But it seems the problem is far worse than even we realised.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30The number of cases of this type of fraud has rocketed and, with so many
0:02:30 > 0:02:35seemingly genuine sites now advertising holiday homes abroad,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38it's all too easy for any of us to be taken in.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41So stand by for advice to make sure that the villa you may be tempted by
0:02:41 > 0:02:45is the real deal and that, like the people in the next film,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48you're not left literally thousands of pounds out of pocket.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53As we've highlighted before,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57when the details for the villa you've booked are entirely bogus...
0:02:57 > 0:03:01Villa Eugenio, Avenue Europa, Tenerife, Canary Islands.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05..you can face a wild goose chase before discovering the truth.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09This gentleman here is looking for a villa that he booked.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11This is the area, San Eugenio.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13- OK.- Ah!- It's the area.- Yeah.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19And although they'll usually include just enough genuine details for the address
0:03:19 > 0:03:21they give to sound plausible,
0:03:21 > 0:03:25fraudsters are becoming even more crafty when it comes to tricking you
0:03:25 > 0:03:28into booking holiday accommodation that you never get to stay in.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34And I'm afraid that's exactly what happened to Alan Muresan and his wife Jean,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38from Morpeth, who've long enjoyed heading to sunnier climes for the winter.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43Over the last ten years, we've been to Australia eight times,
0:03:43 > 0:03:48and that was mainly to get away from the very cold North East winters.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51But for Christmas 2016,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54the couple planned a ten-week break in the Canary Islands,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58where they spotted a beautiful villa in Lanzarote that was big enough for
0:03:58 > 0:04:00their family to comfortably stay as well.
0:04:00 > 0:04:07This was a five-bedroom, lovely big pool in Costa Teguise, an area which we know...
0:04:08 > 0:04:10..and so we thought it was ideal.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13It was absolutely spot-on for what we wanted.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Alan had found the house on a website called Canaries Villas,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19not to be confused with companies of a similar name,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and, when he e-mailed the property manager through the site,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26he was told that, not only was it available for all the dates he wanted,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29but, if he booked and paid now, he'd get a discount.
0:04:29 > 0:04:35The expense initially was £12,000 but, if I paid by cash,
0:04:35 > 0:04:39they would reduce it to £10,600
0:04:39 > 0:04:43with a £500 deposit for damage.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45And that seemed reasonable.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49And Alan was reassured by the comprehensive detail in the four-page contract
0:04:49 > 0:04:51he was sent to sign.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54And it went through end-of-term agreements, safety regulations,
0:04:54 > 0:04:59public indemnity and public liability, force majeure,
0:04:59 > 0:05:01and so there was no real concern.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04So, happy that all was above board,
0:05:04 > 0:05:09Alan paid the money directly to Canaries Villas via bank transfer.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11He then received an e-mail confirming the booking,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14which he was told included an airport transfer.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Towards the end of November, I thought, right, I'll just check
0:05:18 > 0:05:21so, when we arrive at the airport, there's somebody there to pick up.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24When I did that, no response.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27I e-mailed again, no response.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31And immediately, at that time, I felt uncomfortable.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35After several failed attempts to contact Canaries Villas,
0:05:35 > 0:05:38it became clear that the company was bogus.
0:05:38 > 0:05:44There was no villa and Alan had handed over £10,000 to conmen.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46I was upset, very upset.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51Jean ended up in tears and it was just...
0:05:51 > 0:05:55It was heartbreaking. I don't cry but, quite honestly,
0:05:55 > 0:05:56I was close to tears.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Hoping to track down the fraudsters,
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Alan tried employing a private investigator and Spanish solicitors.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06But without any contact details other than the e-mail address,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09there was little that anyone could do to get his money back.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12And similarly, when we tried contacting the company,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14we heard nothing back.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17We look back at ourselves as being old fools.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21We went through what we thought was all legitimate and, at the end of it,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23we've been scammed. We're just...
0:06:24 > 0:06:26..absolutely appalled.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Well, I think Alan's being rather too hard on himself.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Any of us might have been convinced by the ad that had fooled him,
0:06:34 > 0:06:38not least because the photographs and details had been stolen from
0:06:38 > 0:06:42the description of a genuine villa on an entirely different,
0:06:42 > 0:06:43legitimate website.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49And unfortunately, that's a tactic that's becoming increasingly common,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52which is of particular concern for Nick Cooper.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56He runs a well-established and successful holiday rental company
0:06:56 > 0:06:58called Villa Plus.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02In recent years, he's become very aware of the boom in bogus websites,
0:07:02 > 0:07:04and that's because, very often,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07it's the photos and details from his ads that the scammers are
0:07:07 > 0:07:11stealing and then using to create their own fake listings.
0:07:11 > 0:07:17If I take one of our villas in the Costa del Sol, Villa Los Ramos, San Pedro de Alcantara,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19and if I click on this other company...
0:07:21 > 0:07:25..they've got something called Villa Salcedo,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28which is apparently a spacious and impressive five-bedroom villa in
0:07:28 > 0:07:31the exclusive residential area of Atalaya Baja.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34So they've copied a lot of our words, taken a few things out,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37given the villa a different name, copied the pictures,
0:07:37 > 0:07:39and you can contact their property manager here,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41which will just be a made-up name.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43And people have booked this villa.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47And it looks a pretty genuine website, but it's totally fake.
0:07:49 > 0:07:50But in many cases,
0:07:50 > 0:07:55that fact only becomes apparent when the unsuspecting holiday-makers,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58who think they've booked their villa, turn up to try and find it.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02When we discovered they were using our villa images, I mean,
0:08:02 > 0:08:04we were really, really annoyed about it.
0:08:04 > 0:08:10And then we looked into it further and found this wasn't just one or two isolated examples.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Nick estimates that around 1,400 stolen images have been brought to
0:08:14 > 0:08:17his company's attention over the years and he's said he's spoken to other
0:08:17 > 0:08:21legitimate villa rental companies that have experienced the same thing.
0:08:21 > 0:08:22According to Action Fraud,
0:08:22 > 0:08:29it's this type of scam that has contributed to a 20% rise in holiday fraud in 2016.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31When we filmed with Nick's company,
0:08:31 > 0:08:36his colleague Bob had just taken a call from yet another person who'd been taken in.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40He found, upon arrival, there were other people in the villa.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42The family actually turned up at the villa?
0:08:42 > 0:08:43They turned up at the villa.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46- Really?- He obviously was very distressed and had young children,
0:08:46 > 0:08:51- but it just highlights how this can go seriously wrong.- Yeah.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56Also finding themselves in exactly that situation were Andrew and his partner Tracey, from Huddersfield.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58In 2017,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01they booked this villa in the Algarve through what again appeared to be
0:09:01 > 0:09:05a legitimate website called Rent Holidays Villas,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08not to be confused with companies of a similar name.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11And they paid £3,000 for their two-week stay in the Algarve,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14and they only started to realise they'd been scammed when, on arrival
0:09:14 > 0:09:18at Faro Airport, their promised transfer was nowhere to be seen.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21When we arrived, there were lots and lots of people holding up boards,
0:09:21 > 0:09:26iPads with people's names on, and we walked through this...
0:09:27 > 0:09:31..long line of people and didn't see the name that we were looking for.
0:09:33 > 0:09:34Beginning to worry,
0:09:34 > 0:09:38the couple remembered another detail of the booking that hadn't felt right.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41The alarm bells started ringing because the other issue that had
0:09:41 > 0:09:45sort of planted a little seed of doubt in our minds was that we'd
0:09:45 > 0:09:46never been given a telephone number.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Everything had been via e-mail.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54Still hoping their fears were misplaced and that there had simply been
0:09:54 > 0:09:56a mix-up with the transfer at the airport,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Andrew and Tracey hired a car to find the villa they'd paid for.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03The journey from Faro Airport to the property was not good.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05We were both pretty quiet...
0:10:06 > 0:10:08..hoping for the best but fearing the worst.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12And I'm afraid the worst is what they got
0:10:12 > 0:10:14because, when they arrived at the villa,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18they found cars parked in the drive and another family staying in it.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Andrew and Tracey realised they had been scammed.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24We just sat there in a state of shock.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27You do feel sick, you feel physically ill at that point.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32The couple were lucky enough to have friends staying on the island who
0:10:32 > 0:10:35were able to put them up but, before they flew home,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37they reported the scam to the police,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40eager to do all they could to recoup their money.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43The only comfort was that we didn't have lots of other family members
0:10:43 > 0:10:45with us, so I feel for anybody in that situation.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Well, when we tried to contact the website through which Andrew booked,
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Rent Holidays Villas, again, we got no response.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57But Andrew and Tracey were actually rather fortunate because, when they
0:10:57 > 0:10:58contacted their bank,
0:10:58 > 0:11:03the money they'd paid out for the villa was traced to another UK account
0:11:03 > 0:11:05and the fraudsters hadn't yet cleared it out,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07so Andrew was able to retrieve it all.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11I'm as surprised as anybody with regards to how that one panned out,
0:11:11 > 0:11:15cos I was anticipating that, anybody who was scamming people,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18as soon as any funds dropped into a bank account,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22that it would be fairly quickly moved to some hidden place.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25While that's a very happy ending for Andrew,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28it's incredibly rare to get back your money once it's in the hands of
0:11:28 > 0:11:31the fraudsters. Coincidentally,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34the villa they thought they'd booked was amongst those that belonged to
0:11:34 > 0:11:38Villa Plus, but the details and information had been lifted and copied to
0:11:38 > 0:11:40the fake site, where they had seen it,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44which is why Nick Cooper from Villa Plus says more needs to be done to
0:11:44 > 0:11:48protect holiday-makers from this particular type of scam.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Whenever he spots a bogus site or ad,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53he always reports it to the internet providers,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55but he finds them sometimes a bit slow to act.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59We want to shut them down today. We don't want to wait a week, two weeks,
0:11:59 > 0:12:00three weeks, four weeks, a month,
0:12:00 > 0:12:05and it is so difficult to shut them down quickly that that's the most
0:12:05 > 0:12:06frustrating thing about it.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13Making all of this even more worrying for anyone searching out a holiday villa
0:12:13 > 0:12:14is the fact that,
0:12:14 > 0:12:18in addition to the fake sites springing up using hijacked details,
0:12:18 > 0:12:22even some of the industry's big names have found their own sites
0:12:22 > 0:12:25infiltrated by fraudsters placing scam ads.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28So I'm afraid it doesn't necessarily follow that you'd be OK booking with
0:12:28 > 0:12:34a name you know. That's something we first reported in 2015 after Julie Roberts,
0:12:34 > 0:12:39from Leeds, responded to an ad she'd seen on the website Owners Direct.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43She went on to hand over £4,000 to the supposed villa owner,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45who called himself Michael Fitzgerald,
0:12:45 > 0:12:49but neither he nor the villa genuinely existed.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52We've been scammed out of £4,000.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55The initial thought was, "Right, we can't go on holiday,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58"and I've got to tell all my friends that this isn't happening."
0:12:58 > 0:13:01So it was horrible, it was absolutely horrible.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05At the time, although Owners Direct offered free insurance protecting
0:13:05 > 0:13:11against any losses resulting from fraud, it was capped at £700,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13so, while Julie did receive that,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17she was still left well over £3,000 out of pocket.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Since we reported on her story,
0:13:19 > 0:13:23the company said it's significantly stepped up its online security and
0:13:23 > 0:13:27it now covers the whole cost of any fraud that affects holiday-makers
0:13:27 > 0:13:30who've booked and paid through their website.
0:13:31 > 0:13:32But, of course, over the years,
0:13:32 > 0:13:37we've heard of people who've ended up being scammed after using other well-known sites,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40for example, Airbnb and even Booking.com -
0:13:40 > 0:13:42all legitimate booking sites,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45but where scammers have been able to advertise and take money for
0:13:45 > 0:13:48properties that simply don't belong to them.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53Sites like those also stress they have stringent systems in place to
0:13:53 > 0:13:57protect customers from scams and they're constantly updating them so
0:13:57 > 0:14:01that they can detect and resolve any potentially suspicious activity.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04But they point out cases of fraud remain extremely rare,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07and you will generally be protected if the booking
0:14:07 > 0:14:10is completed through their own sites rather than,
0:14:10 > 0:14:14as fraudsters would sometimes request, using other methods of payment.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20Even so, fake villa scams are clearly on the rise throughout the industry,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24so Nick Cooper says there are things we should all look out for to reduce
0:14:24 > 0:14:25the risk of being conned.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28First thing you have to look up - when was the website registered?
0:14:28 > 0:14:31And if they have a telephone number, is it a local area code number?
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Can you find out where the company are?
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Do they have too much availability in peak season?
0:14:36 > 0:14:39If it's too much of a bargain, then it might well be false.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Fortunately, Andrew's experience hasn't put him off booking villas in
0:14:44 > 0:14:49the future, but it has made him more wary about how he'd go about it.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54We've been booking villas via the internet for 20 years and we've never
0:14:54 > 0:14:55had a problem, and I think...
0:14:57 > 0:15:01..you get a bit, "It'll never happen to us." You take that sort of view.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03And, lo and behold, it did.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Now, there are some issues about which you contact us time and time again,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15and one of them is time-share.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19Whether you've written to us because of increasing maintenance fees or
0:15:19 > 0:15:22you're just fed up of being tied to a property that you don't often use,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26there's no doubt that plenty of you are desperate to get rid of yours
0:15:26 > 0:15:30once and for all. So, when a company gets in touch and promises to do all
0:15:30 > 0:15:35the work for you, it's very easy to see why it might sound like a tempting offer.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39Well, that's exactly what lawyers based right here in Tenerife are claiming that
0:15:39 > 0:15:43they can do for thousands of time-share customers.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48But, as I've discovered, those lawyers and, indeed, their claims really don't
0:15:48 > 0:15:50stack up to much at all.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56Though, for decades, time-share holidays have had their share of bad press,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59there are many people for whom they still have their benefits.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03And for many years, David and Jackie Harrington from Essex loved being able
0:16:03 > 0:16:06to holiday around the world with the peace of mind that the quality of
0:16:06 > 0:16:09the accommodation would suit them perfectly.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12We just fell in love with the whole system of what they do.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16We had several trips to various resorts in the Canary Islands,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23The main one that we thoroughly loved was in Florida in Kissimmee.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27We went out there to Orlando, had a magnificent five-bedroom house.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Good boy, Troy! Good boy.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33But over time, like many others who contact us,
0:16:33 > 0:16:37David and Jackie became frustrated with their time-share.
0:16:37 > 0:16:38As well as rising costs,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41there was increasingly restricted availability of the sorts of
0:16:41 > 0:16:43accommodation that they wanted,
0:16:43 > 0:16:48to the point where they felt they just were not getting enough for their money.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53We built ourselves up on the points system to become platinum customers,
0:16:53 > 0:16:57which we were told would give you priority of wherever you
0:16:57 > 0:16:59wished to go. That wasn't the case -
0:16:59 > 0:17:01you'd always phone up, wanting to go to this destination...
0:17:03 > 0:17:05..it was always booked.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09Thoroughly fed up, the couple was keen to get out of the contract -
0:17:09 > 0:17:14something they were eventually able to do after Jackie became too ill to travel.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18My wife had quite a serious heart problem,
0:17:18 > 0:17:22and she got whisked off to hospital and A&E.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27The bottom line is she was told she couldn't fly for at least a couple of years.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30And we presented all the medical evidence,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34and they dropped our account and, since then, we haven't been with them.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37David and Jackie were thankful that they were no longer paying out to a company
0:17:37 > 0:17:40that was not giving them what they wanted.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Then, out of the blue, they were contacted by a solicitor from Tenerife.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48He said, "Are you aware that there's a court case against them in November,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51"in Santa Cruz High Court?"
0:17:51 > 0:17:54I said, "No." He said, "Well, we'd like to represent you,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58"not just yourself and your wife, but a number of other people as well.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01"We feel that you have a perfectly legitimate case
0:18:01 > 0:18:04"and the likelihood you will win your case, and we'd like to represent you
0:18:04 > 0:18:06"on a no-win, no-fee basis."
0:18:07 > 0:18:11The solicitor said he represented many others like Jackie and David,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14who felt that they'd been paying well over the odds for their time-share
0:18:14 > 0:18:16while being offered substandard accommodation.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20He convinced David to join the legal action to get back the thousands
0:18:20 > 0:18:24that they'd paid out, but he also said that, to get things moving,
0:18:24 > 0:18:29under Spanish law, they'd have to pay 600 euros' court fees upfront,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31and David agreed.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33I think, because you're dealing with outside the UK,
0:18:33 > 0:18:37obviously, they have different laws, and you just have to go by what you
0:18:37 > 0:18:40feel that you're being informed. They do things differently.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46The Spanish lawyer dealing with their case was called Emilio Leyes Catillianos.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50He sent all the relevant paperwork, which even detailed a court date.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55All David and Jackie had to do was wait for the verdict and perhaps compensation.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00We were informed within a few days that we'd won our case and
0:19:00 > 0:19:06the agreement through the courts we would receive roughly about 15,000 euros.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08This seemed great news,
0:19:08 > 0:19:12and Emilio sent over instructions for how to release the funds.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15And I'm afraid there was another payment involved.
0:19:15 > 0:19:21The main payment was on the basis that, once a court has agreed to send
0:19:21 > 0:19:27someone overseas X amount of money, they had to pay a tax levy, which,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30if you're a non-resident of Spain, was 21%...
0:19:31 > 0:19:34..which amounted to just under 3,000 euros,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36and this apparently made it very,
0:19:36 > 0:19:40very clear had to be paid before the money was sent to us, and it would
0:19:40 > 0:19:43obviously be reimbursed back on to the cheque.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45So that's what we did.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50A week after the 3,000 euros had been paid,
0:19:50 > 0:19:52David and Jackie then received a letter in the post,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55but the cheque supposed to be with it was missing,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58so David got straight back on to Emilio.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02I explained to him that there's been no cheque received at all,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05and his immediate reaction was, "Oh, my God, what's happened here?
0:20:05 > 0:20:07"I shall investigate and look into it."
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Got back to us within 24 hours.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16Apparently, there was a source in the local post office that intercepted it
0:20:16 > 0:20:22and passed it on to apparently East Europeans that were working out of
0:20:22 > 0:20:26Los Cristianos, and they'd banked the cheque within 24 hours.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Emilio reassured the couple that he would resend the cheque via a courier.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33So, again, David and Jackie waited.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38We received a letter from Emilio saying that the law in Spain requests
0:20:38 > 0:20:42that anything over 10,000 euros they can't send through a courier,
0:20:42 > 0:20:44it's got to be done through a bank transfer,
0:20:44 > 0:20:48and by doing this you have to send a small amount to
0:20:48 > 0:20:50pay the fee.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Which we did, which was about 500 euros,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57and that was the last payment which we did. Um...
0:20:57 > 0:21:00And then, really, after that, it all just went dead.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07By now, David and Jackie had paid £4,100 to Emilio,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10and they were starting to fear that the whole thing may well have been
0:21:10 > 0:21:11an elaborate con trick.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14They didn't know if Emilio had stolen the money,
0:21:14 > 0:21:19if he was really a solicitor or even if there'd ever been a court case.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21Fearing they'd sent their money to a total crook,
0:21:21 > 0:21:27they contacted us, and we took the paperwork to UK lawyer Stefano Lucatello,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30who's a specialist in international property,
0:21:30 > 0:21:31to see what he made of it.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36The notepaper purports to be from a Spanish lawyer.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38And then the manner in which the letter is actually written,
0:21:38 > 0:21:42it says, "Apologies for contacting you in this manner."
0:21:42 > 0:21:46No lawyer would contact a person in this manner,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48so immediately I'm suspicious.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53Though the letter to Jackie and David may look official, as a lawyer,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Stefano is quickly convinced it's a scam.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00The reasons why they contacted this person in this manner are also then
0:22:00 > 0:22:03described, and it quotes an authority, a European authority,
0:22:03 > 0:22:04which doesn't exist.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09But, of course, a lay person would not know and could easily be drawn into
0:22:09 > 0:22:15the fact that this headed notepaper seems to be true and not fictitious.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19In fact, Stefano has seen letters like this before and he's heard many
0:22:19 > 0:22:24similar stories of money being handed over to a foreign solicitor who cold calls,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28claiming to be taking action against a time-share company.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32But he says any such call should immediately make you suspicious.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36No Spanish law firm would cold call a person,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40whether a Spanish person or a foreigner abroad in another jurisdiction.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45Why? Because it's against the Code of Conduct of the Spanish Lawyers' Association,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48and it doesn't matter whether you're in Madrid or in Barcelona
0:22:48 > 0:22:53or in Tenerife, the lawyers' Code of Conduct nationally is the same.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57Stefano says there are specialist lawyers you can contact if you want
0:22:57 > 0:23:00to get out of your time-share contract or if you think you might have a case
0:23:00 > 0:23:02against a time-share company,
0:23:02 > 0:23:06but you should ignore any unsolicited contact.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10If you do receive a cold call, whether it be an e-mail,
0:23:10 > 0:23:15whether it be a letter or a telephone call, my advice to you is to put it in the bin,
0:23:15 > 0:23:16to disregard it.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19If you do have a time-share and you receive such a piece of correspondence,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22then seek English law advice from an expert.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26You can find them from the Law Society directory.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30These are people who specialise in either getting into time-shares and
0:23:30 > 0:23:33doing it correctly or getting you out of a time-share, if you would wish
0:23:33 > 0:23:34to leave such a time-share.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40But while it's clear that what Jackie and David had been told was not stacking up,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43we were keen to find out more about the lawyer that they'd been dealing
0:23:43 > 0:23:46with and find out what he'd done with their £4,100.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48So, while we were filming in Tenerife,
0:23:48 > 0:23:52I tried to visit the address given as his office on the paperwork.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55The trouble was, I couldn't find many people around to help.
0:23:57 > 0:23:58This is really weird.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01There are just no people here on the streets.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04There are cars driving through this town, but no people.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09It's a bit like being in a ghost town or on a film set!
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Certainly not somewhere where you'd expect to find a high-powered international lawyer.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17It seems I may have come during siesta time,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20but I'm determined to find our mysterious lawyer,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23so I wonder if any locals know of our friend Emilio.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27- Jose, you know everybody around here.- Yes. - Do you know this lawyer - Emilio?
0:24:27 > 0:24:30- Emilio Leyes... No, no.- Catillianos? - No.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32And that's what he says is his address.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34The address is not correct.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39Have you ever heard of this lawyer here in the town - Emilio Catillianos?
0:24:39 > 0:24:40No, not in this town.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43- No?- No.- Thank you.- You're welcome.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Have you ever heard of Emilio Leyes Catillianos?
0:24:47 > 0:24:52- I don't know him.- Do you think there's a lawyer in this town called that?
0:24:52 > 0:24:54I would say no.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56- But you've never heard of this man? - No, no, never.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00- Never?- It's the first time.- OK. Thank you very much indeed.- You're welcome.- Thank you.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03In a small Spanish community like this,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06you might think that everybody would be familiar with a lawyer.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10While it appears they're not, I can at least still try to find his office.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15Do you know this lawyer - Emilio Leyes Catillianos?
0:25:17 > 0:25:23I have people, lawyers, maybe they know him, you know, but...
0:25:23 > 0:25:24You've never heard of him?
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Emilio, no.
0:25:26 > 0:25:27- Right.- No.- OK.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32- So, if I want Duque de la Torre, I have to go down here?- Yes.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Well, I'm getting close to the street.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37I have a feeling he's not going to be there.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39"Calle Duque de la Torre."
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Calle Duque de la Torre!
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Just got to find number 29 now.
0:25:45 > 0:25:46And once I'm there,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50it's immediately obvious that there's no legal firm at this address
0:25:50 > 0:25:52and the whole thing has been an elaborate scam.
0:25:52 > 0:25:59Well, this is clearly 29 Calle Duque de la Torre, but we're in a town called Arona,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01not Santa Cruz.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06And, in fact, the sat-nav says that there is no Duque de la Torre in Santa Cruz.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09The only one on the whole island is here in Arona.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11But what do we find?
0:26:11 > 0:26:14This is all part of the council offices.
0:26:14 > 0:26:20If this really was the office of a lawyer called Emilio Catillianos,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23there'd be a thumping great brass plate here somewhere
0:26:23 > 0:26:25saying that this was his office.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Well, the address might not be real, but the scam most definitely is,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34and a quick search for the lawyer's name online turns up plenty of other
0:26:34 > 0:26:37people who've lost money in the same way
0:26:37 > 0:26:39and would be equally keen to find him.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41And back at their home in Essex,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45while David and Jackie accept they're unlikely ever to get their money back,
0:26:45 > 0:26:47after learning such a hard lesson,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50they want to make sure no-one else gets stung in the same way.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55There is absolutely no way that we will ever get involved with anything
0:26:55 > 0:27:00in reference to investing into time-share or holiday homes,
0:27:00 > 0:27:04and it's made me even much, much more wary, suspicious,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07of people than I had before, certainly.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Still to come on Rip-Off Britain, the fake flight companies taking
0:27:17 > 0:27:20thousands of pounds for fares that aren't for real.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24I just put the phone down and I literally cried.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28I never thought that I could be a victim of this.
0:27:32 > 0:27:37Our travel expert Simon Calder is full of tips to save you money on your travels.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40He's got plenty of ideas on everything from how to avoid the crowds
0:27:40 > 0:27:43to the best way to steer clear of those tourist traps.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47This time, it's all about Sicily.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51The stone next to the boot, as it's called,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53is the biggest island in the Mediterranean,
0:27:53 > 0:27:58and it's also the warmest part of Italy, with spectacular landscapes,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01towns and cities steeped in millennia of history,
0:28:01 > 0:28:03and gastronomic delights.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Sicily really has it all.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09There are more direct flights from the UK to Sicily than ever.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12But if your local airport can only get you as far as Rome,
0:28:12 > 0:28:16then consider this spectacular way to arrive.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20From the Italian capital, there's a direct train that runs south to
0:28:20 > 0:28:22the toe of Italy
0:28:22 > 0:28:28and then trundles onto the ferry for the journey across to the island of Sicily,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31continuing to the cities of Catania and Syracuse.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34You don't even get your wheels wet.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38But if you do fancy getting your wheels wet, then head to the Aeolian Islands
0:28:38 > 0:28:40off the north-east coast of Sicily.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Made up of a scattering of volcanoes,
0:28:42 > 0:28:46each one is worth exploring, and they're connected by a busy network
0:28:46 > 0:28:48of fast hydrofoil ferries.
0:28:48 > 0:28:53For the best possible start, take the early morning nonstop ferry to
0:28:53 > 0:28:58the most distant island, Stromboli, with its seething volcano,
0:28:58 > 0:29:01then meander back at your own pace,
0:29:01 > 0:29:05but try to stop at as many islands as you possibly can.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07They're all delightfully different.
0:29:08 > 0:29:09In the year 2000,
0:29:09 > 0:29:14the Aeolian Islands were listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, and
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Stromboli itself has been studied for thousands of years,
0:29:17 > 0:29:21providing invaluable insights into the depths of the Earth and its secrets.
0:29:21 > 0:29:26If you're lucky, you may even get a unique opportunity to watch its eruptions.
0:29:29 > 0:29:35Back on the mainland, Sicily is a melting pot of history and culture.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38Sicily has a scintillating story to tell through its museums and
0:29:38 > 0:29:40archaeological sites.
0:29:40 > 0:29:45And many of them offer free admission on the first Sunday of every month.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49Be warned, though, that on other Sundays many of them are closed,
0:29:49 > 0:29:53and Monday is an almost mandatory day off.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55So a bit of planning helps
0:29:55 > 0:29:58if you're going to get to grips with the island's heroic heritage.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05Now to a scam that's been doing the rounds for many years
0:30:05 > 0:30:10but is so convincing that, unfortunately, it's still catching people out.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14And while it's easy, with hindsight, to see the red flags and the warning
0:30:14 > 0:30:17signs that something deeply suspicious is unfolding,
0:30:17 > 0:30:20when you're in the middle of it, it's not always that simple.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23So when you hear what happened to the latest people to tell us about
0:30:23 > 0:30:28their experience, we hope that you learn enough to stop you from falling into the same trap.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34We all want to make sure, when booking a flight, that we've got the best fare.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38And there's no shortage of businesses and websites competing
0:30:38 > 0:30:39to offer bargain deals.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43But in the rush to bag one, there's always a risk of being conned.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46That's what happened to Stanley Nkomo
0:30:46 > 0:30:50when he was looking for a cheap flight to visit family in Zimbabwe.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54I do go back to Zimbabwe every year, which is where I come from.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56I've got my father there, who's old.
0:30:56 > 0:30:57He's in his late 80s.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01So, each year, I make sure that I go and just check on him,
0:31:01 > 0:31:02that he's keeping well.
0:31:02 > 0:31:07I always try and get the best deal, the best possible deal,
0:31:07 > 0:31:09so that, whatever few money I save,
0:31:09 > 0:31:14then I can use for my travelling expenses and other things when I get back home
0:31:14 > 0:31:16to spend with friends and family.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18As was the case with previous trips,
0:31:18 > 0:31:22Stanley had saved all year for his five-week break.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26Then, as the time approached, he searched around for the best deal.
0:31:26 > 0:31:27I went online...
0:31:28 > 0:31:32..typed in cheap flights to Harare,
0:31:32 > 0:31:36put the dates I wanted to travel out and the days I wanted to come back,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39so a number of agencies started contacting me.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42Joy Travel happened to be one of those agencies.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Joy Travel UK Limited,
0:31:44 > 0:31:48a travel agent most recently registered in Port Talbot and not to be
0:31:48 > 0:31:50confused with companies of a similar name,
0:31:50 > 0:31:53appeared to offer a fare that was hard to refuse.
0:31:53 > 0:31:58It said it could get Stanley flights with Air France, via Paris, to Zimbabwe
0:31:58 > 0:32:05for just £540 - a saving of around £160 on the usual cost of a flight.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09They were pushing me to say, "Look, we are offering this ticket at a very,
0:32:09 > 0:32:11"very discounted rate.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13"We've got only two seats going.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17"If you miss it, then, obviously, you'll have missed the opportunity."
0:32:17 > 0:32:20So I thought, "Oh, it's one of those opportunities you wouldn't want to miss."
0:32:20 > 0:32:23Worried it might be too good to be true,
0:32:23 > 0:32:27Stanley did a quick check that the times and dates of the flights on offer
0:32:27 > 0:32:30tallied with the details on Air France's own website.
0:32:30 > 0:32:35Reassured that they did, and eager to snap up such heavily discounted seats,
0:32:35 > 0:32:39he followed Joy Travel's instructions and paid via a bank transfer.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43He received a booking confirmation and there was no reason to suspect
0:32:43 > 0:32:46anything was untoward until the day of departure.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48I went into the check-in desk.
0:32:48 > 0:32:54They typed in, then they said they couldn't find my name on the flight list.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57So, obviously, I had the booking confirmation,
0:32:57 > 0:33:00and I was adamant in my mind that I am booked onto this flight.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02I couldn't believe what was happening.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07Staff at the Air France desk said they had no record of Stanley's booking,
0:33:07 > 0:33:10but he hoped it might all be a simple mistake.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14I've been travelling to Zimbabwe, using almost the same method each year,
0:33:14 > 0:33:16and I've never had a problem,
0:33:16 > 0:33:20so I was hoping and praying that, out of the blue, my name would be called out,
0:33:20 > 0:33:22that the flight is going.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24But when the flight left without him,
0:33:24 > 0:33:30all Stanley could do was return home and call Joy Travel UK Limited to find out
0:33:30 > 0:33:34what had gone wrong. But when he rang the number he'd used when making the booking,
0:33:34 > 0:33:37he got his next big surprise of the day.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40They were saying, "No, we're not a travel agent, we are a supermarket,
0:33:40 > 0:33:42"we sell groceries."
0:33:42 > 0:33:44Then I realised that these people were no good.
0:33:46 > 0:33:47Horrified that he'd been scammed,
0:33:47 > 0:33:51Stanley went back online to see if there were any other ways he could
0:33:51 > 0:33:53get in touch with the people he'd booked with.
0:33:53 > 0:33:58So, I thought, "Let me dig a bit deeper into this company."
0:33:58 > 0:34:00So I tried to go onto their website,
0:34:00 > 0:34:05to find out exactly where they are located and so forth.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07The website was non-existent.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10Everything about the travel firm had been a con,
0:34:10 > 0:34:14so Stanley contacted Staffordshire Police, who confirmed that they were
0:34:14 > 0:34:20dealing with over 210 similar complaints involving not just Joy Travel UK Limited
0:34:20 > 0:34:24but two other travel firms based in the same county,
0:34:24 > 0:34:27and the police have since told us that, while the potential suspects
0:34:27 > 0:34:30relating to this case remain abroad,
0:34:30 > 0:34:33there's been considerable work undertaken within the City of London Police
0:34:33 > 0:34:38to take down bogus travel agency websites and phone numbers.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42But I'm afraid fraudulent sites are becoming ever more common, as Sylvia Bedu,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45from Croydon, also found out to her cost.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49She was planning a family trip to Ghana and had already paid a deposit for
0:34:49 > 0:34:54some flights when she was contacted by a different firm offering an even better deal.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56A gentleman called and said, "Oh...
0:34:58 > 0:35:02"..are you travelling this summer to Ghana?"
0:35:02 > 0:35:07He said to me, "I've got a very reasonable ticket, would you like me to,
0:35:07 > 0:35:10"you know, give you a quotation for it?"
0:35:10 > 0:35:15And I said, "I've already paid money already, so I don't think I would,
0:35:15 > 0:35:17"otherwise I'll lose my money."
0:35:17 > 0:35:20And then, what he said to me is that, "Oh,
0:35:20 > 0:35:24"you can get it for half price of what, you know, would normally be charged."
0:35:24 > 0:35:27So I got interested then.
0:35:27 > 0:35:32Sylvia had paid a £600 deposit for four tickets through a genuine agent
0:35:32 > 0:35:35but, though by taking this new deal, she'd lose this deposit,
0:35:35 > 0:35:39it would still mean she'd save a total of nearly £1,300.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43But Sylvia too was suspicious that it might be a scam, so she asked for
0:35:43 > 0:35:47proof that she was dealing with a genuine company.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51The person on the phone gave his name as Jack Smith and said he worked for
0:35:51 > 0:35:53a business called Easy Travel in Derbyshire.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55For further reassurance,
0:35:55 > 0:35:59he suggested that Sylvia should take a look at the company's online accounts.
0:35:59 > 0:36:04He directed me to Companies House, so I was like, "OK,
0:36:04 > 0:36:08"this is a genuine company," and I actually saw their accounts,
0:36:08 > 0:36:13so it was a company that still exists, you know, and, you know, operating,
0:36:13 > 0:36:19so I didn't have any doubts then that, you know, this could not be true.
0:36:21 > 0:36:22Unfortunately, however,
0:36:22 > 0:36:25while the details Sylvia were looking at were perfectly legitimate,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28they had nothing to do with the man she'd been speaking to,
0:36:28 > 0:36:30the so-called Jack Smith.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33It was only later that she discovered he'd been using the name of
0:36:33 > 0:36:36a genuine coach and minibus company,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39purely to trick her into thinking she was dealing with a reliable company.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42And it worked. She went ahead and made the payment.
0:36:44 > 0:36:50I spoke with Jack and I said, "OK, I will use my card to do this."
0:36:50 > 0:36:52So we did the transaction.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55I paid £1,700...
0:36:56 > 0:37:02..from my direct debit with the name and details that he'd given.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05As soon as the money left her account, the con was complete.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09No tickets turned up and further calls to Jack Smith went unanswered.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13Sylvia had been fleeced out of £1,700.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15I literally cried.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19I never thought that I could, you know, be a victim of this.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23But now I realise that anybody can.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27Well, we've heard about numerous similar scams all over the country
0:37:27 > 0:37:32and, in Norwich, one such scam drew the attention of Norfolk Trading Standards,
0:37:32 > 0:37:35after a number of people in the area got in touch to say they'd lost money
0:37:35 > 0:37:38to a firm which had suddenly popped up on their patch
0:37:38 > 0:37:44calling itself either luxeflights.co.uk or luxetravels.co.uk.
0:37:44 > 0:37:49Brian Chatham was the member of the Norfolk Trading Standards scheme who smelt a rat.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53What I think is significant in this case is that they used the word
0:37:53 > 0:37:55luxe at the beginning.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58I've done a little bit of looking on the net,
0:37:58 > 0:38:04and there are a whole number of established businesses who are connected
0:38:04 > 0:38:09with luxury flights or with business flights
0:38:09 > 0:38:14who have been there for a considerable period of time.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16What the scammer was doing here
0:38:16 > 0:38:20was clearly doing their best to masquerade as being one of those
0:38:20 > 0:38:22legitimate businesses.
0:38:22 > 0:38:27This firm not only used other companies' names to give it an air of authenticity,
0:38:27 > 0:38:30it also had what appeared to be a genuine address,
0:38:30 > 0:38:35but it was close examination of that address that really gave the game away.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40When we checked the address that was on the website we found,
0:38:40 > 0:38:44we couldn't believe that it was the Lord Nelson training ship -
0:38:44 > 0:38:46this boat here!
0:38:49 > 0:38:52Hardly a place where you would expect to get airline tickets from.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55The boat, whose address had been hijacked,
0:38:55 > 0:38:58actually belongs to Norwich Sea Cadets,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01but that wouldn't necessarily have been apparent to anyone thinking they were
0:39:01 > 0:39:03booking flight tickets.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07A scam website will either have a completely fictitious address
0:39:07 > 0:39:13or they will possibly pick a premises at random and use it.
0:39:13 > 0:39:18Enquiries on the net will tell you quite quickly that that premises is not
0:39:18 > 0:39:20a premises where you're likely to be able to buy,
0:39:20 > 0:39:22for instance, airline tickets from,
0:39:22 > 0:39:25theatre tickets or something of that kind.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28So... But this is unusual.
0:39:28 > 0:39:33We have never before had somebody given an address like this.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37Brian and his team managed to get the bogus sites taken down
0:39:37 > 0:39:39so they were no longer able to operate.
0:39:39 > 0:39:44The trouble is, there's nothing to stop the scammers just setting up a new site
0:39:44 > 0:39:47under a different name and doing it all over again.
0:39:47 > 0:39:48So, with that in mind,
0:39:48 > 0:39:52for anyone looking to book a holiday or a flight online this year,
0:39:52 > 0:39:55Brian has some absolutely key advice.
0:39:56 > 0:40:01The safest way to buy on the net is through a credit card.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03Under the Consumer Credit Act,
0:40:03 > 0:40:08the credit provider then has a legal duty to protect you
0:40:08 > 0:40:12and to reimburse you if, for instance, the money has gone to a scammer.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18Some of the bank debit cards offer a similar protection as well.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21It's worth talking to your bank provider.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25Remember, too, that while legitimate travel firms may display an ABTA or
0:40:25 > 0:40:27ATOL logo on their website,
0:40:27 > 0:40:30it's very easy for fake travel firms to do the same,
0:40:30 > 0:40:34so it's well worth checking the ABTA website for a list of some of
0:40:34 > 0:40:36the booking sites known to be bogus.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39You may be worried those bargain fares will disappear
0:40:39 > 0:40:42but, rather than rushing to make the purchase,
0:40:42 > 0:40:45take time to do some checks before handing over any money.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48You have to do your homework.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50The more you are putting into it,
0:40:50 > 0:40:52the more I think you need to do your homework.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56So, in the case of airline tickets,
0:40:56 > 0:40:59usually, there's several hundred pounds involved.
0:40:59 > 0:41:04It's worthwhile just taking that little bit longer,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07really being sure that who you are dealing with...
0:41:08 > 0:41:12..is who you think it is and that they are as good as you think they are.
0:41:13 > 0:41:14Back home in Manchester,
0:41:14 > 0:41:18Stanley will be very cautious if he comes across low prices again,
0:41:18 > 0:41:20and he'll be taking extra care
0:41:20 > 0:41:23next time he books his flights to Zimbabwe.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27What is now much more important for me, yes,
0:41:27 > 0:41:30the price will still matter, but what is important is,
0:41:30 > 0:41:32is it a genuine offer?
0:41:32 > 0:41:36I would rather pay twice the amount as long as I know what I'm doing is genuine.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47Rip-Off Britain wouldn't be here without your stories,
0:41:47 > 0:41:50and we've got plenty of ways you can get in touch.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Send us an e-mail to...
0:41:56 > 0:41:57Or write to us at...
0:42:05 > 0:42:08But please don't send original copies of any documents.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13And even if you haven't got a story you'd like us to investigate,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16you can join in the conversation on our Facebook page.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18Just search BBC Rip-Off Britain.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25You know, well over our various programmes on Rip-Off Britain,
0:42:25 > 0:42:27we've covered a lot of scams,
0:42:27 > 0:42:30but I never cease to be amazed and horrified, if I'm being honest,
0:42:30 > 0:42:35at the tactics used by the people behind them to trick you out of your cash.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38And while, as we heard, some scams never go away,
0:42:38 > 0:42:41there are always new and very clever ones popping up as well.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44- It's as if the scammers are just always one step ahead of us, aren't they?- Always.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46And, of course, when you're on holiday,
0:42:46 > 0:42:50it's all too easy just to relax and let your guard down.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53So the message really is just to stop for a minute or two
0:42:53 > 0:42:57before handing over any of your money, whether you're at home or abroad.
0:42:57 > 0:43:01Because it's that moment of reflection that could really save you from
0:43:01 > 0:43:03an awful lot of bother later on.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05And if you've ever been on the receiving end of a scam and you want to
0:43:05 > 0:43:07use your experience to warn other people,
0:43:07 > 0:43:10then do please get in touch with us.
0:43:10 > 0:43:11The more we get the word out,
0:43:11 > 0:43:14the less likely it is that the fraudsters will win.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16But that's it from us for now.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18Thank you very much for joining us in sunny Tenerife.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21- And, until the next time, goodbye. - Goodbye.- Bye-bye.