The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is warning British holidaymakers to beware of scam holiday websites which are falsely displaying the ‘ATOL Protected’ logo, after customers have been left out-of-pocket by bogus travel companies.

By law, every UK travel company which sells air holidays is required to hold an ATOL, which stands for Air Travel Organiser’s Licence, but some websites have been displaying the ATOL logo when they are not members of the scheme. Some of these scam sites, which are often operated from abroad, are taking customers’ money and then issuing fake travel documents, leaving customers unable to travel.

Before booking a holiday which includes flights you should look for the ATOL Protected logo and check that it is valid. If your holiday is ATOL Protected the CAA will organise for you to be refunded or flown home if your travel company becomes insolvent.

Reduce your risk of becoming the next victim:

• Look for an ATOL logo
• Check that this is legitimate by entering the ATOL number on the CAA website. Check an ATOL
• Make sure that you receive an ATOL certificate once you have booked your trip.
• If you have any doubts don’t hand over any money

Look for the signs of a scam website:

• The ATOL logo may not include the unique reference number
• Cheap flight prices that may seem too good to be true to all parts of the world
• Poor quality or no contact details available
• No online payment facility

Richard Jackson, Group Director for Consumer Protection at the CAA, said: “ATOL gives you the peace of mind that you won’t lose your money and will get home safely even if your travel company goes bust.

“However, we are aware of a number of bogus websites advertising unusually cheap deals, which are operated from abroad and falsely claiming to have ATOL protection.

“It is really important that customers look beyond the price and check, and double check, the travel company has ATOL protection. Once you’ve confirmed this and paid for your holiday, make sure you get an ATOL certificate.”

If you feel you have been the victim of a scam contact the Citizens Advice Bureau who work with trading standards teams across the country to investigate fraud.

Help protect others by reporting any websites which you suspect may be bogus.

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