Common holiday scams
Fake travel company websites
Professional-looking sites that advertise cheap package holidays, take your money and disappear. They often copy the name or ATOL number of a real company.
Borrowed ATOL numbers
A real ATOL number shown by a company that isn't entitled to use it. Search the number and the company name together on our check page: we'll tell you if the number belongs to someone else.
Fake social media deals
"Too good to miss" offers in social media ads, groups and messages, usually asking for payment by bank transfer.
Pilgrimage package scams
Fake Hajj and Umrah packages are a known problem. Check the company holds an ATOL and is properly licensed before you pay.
Fake refund and claim services
After a company fails, fraudsters contact customers offering to recover their money for a fee.
Warning signs
- prices far below what other companies charge
- payment only by bank transfer, especially to a personal account
- an ATOL logo with no number, or a number that doesn't match the company
- no landline, no physical address, or only a mobile number
- pressure to pay immediately before the "deal ends"
- no ATOL Certificate after you pay
Protect yourself
- Check the ATOL number and name togetherUse both search boxes on our check page.
- Compare the websiteSee if the website you're using is listed for the company on the register.
- Pay by credit cardIt gives you the most protection if something goes wrong.
- Get it in writingMake sure you receive a booking confirmation and an ATOL Certificate as soon as you pay.
If you've been scammed
- Contact your bank straight away. The sooner you report it, the better your chance of getting money back.
- Report it to Action Fraud, the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.
- Report false ATOL claims to the CAA at atolcompliance@caa.co.uk.
- Keep screenshots, emails and payment records as evidence.