Holiday warning over easy passport and boarding pass mistakes that could land you with a hefty bill worth £1,000s
Experts say losing your passport or throwing away your boarding pass could leave you unable to travel or stuck with surprise bills.
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Another key blunder includes saving a scanned copy of your passports on your digital devices.
Cybercriminals are targeting travel documents, with stolen passports, boarding passes, and hotel bookings being sold for thousands on the dark web.
Research from NordVPN and Saily has uncovered thousands of stolen travel details being traded online, putting Brits at risk of identity theft and financial scams.
Verified UK passports are among the most valuable, selling for over £4,000 if they're valid and uncompromised.
When passports are recorded as missing or stolen and invalidated, the risk of fraud is reduced, but such documents can still slip past some companies with more relaxed reviewing procedures.
Even older, invalid passports can fetch up to £8 and may still slip through lax security checks.
Boarding passes and airline loyalty accounts are also hot commodities, with criminals using them to steal frequent flyer miles or access personal information.
Hackers have also targeted hotel bookings made through popular platforms like Booking.com, selling reservations at steep £200 discounts or claiming refunds to their own accounts.
Cybercriminals use malware to scan devices for sensitive files like passport scans, hack email accounts to retrieve travel documents, or exploit data breaches at airlines and travel agencies.
Physical mistakes, such as leaving boarding passes behind at airports or sharing passport scans on insecure cloud folders, can also make travellers easy targets.
Marijus Briedis, chief technology officer at NordVPN, said: "The best way you can protect yourself against these types of fraud is to ensure that all of your devices are kept updated with antivirus software and make sure that anything related to your holiday booking is saved in a secure place.
"If you have been asked by your travel agent to send over a copy of your passport, don't be afraid to ask them what they do with that scan once your booking has been completed.
"Take precautions in the airport too, and don't leave boarding passes in public places, as even these have enough information to put you at risk of identity fraud."
Ultimately, to stay safe, travellers should secure their documents and avoid discarding boarding passes or sharing passport scans carelessly.
Booking.com was contacted for comment.
How to report scams
If you think you have been a victim of a scam, you should report it as soon as possible.
There is no guarantee you'll get your money back, but banks will often compensate you if you can show you did not know the money would leave your account.
You can forward scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.
If you notice a website that doesn't look quite right, you can also report it to the National Cyber Security Centre by visiting ncsc.gov.uk/section/about-this-website/report-scam-website.
You should also contact your provider and report it to Action Fraud, which will give you a crime reference number.
You can do this online by visiting actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
If you're in Scotland, report a scam through Advice Direct Scotland online by visiting consumeradvice.scot. You can also report scams to Police Scotland on 101.
If you need further help, contact Citizens Advice Scams Action by visiting citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/scams/get-help-with-online-scams or calling 0808 223 1133.
Action Fraud's advice on holiday fraud
THINIKNG about booking a holiday this year? Follow our top tips to avoid falling victim to holiday fraud
DO YOUR RESEARCH: Before committing and booking your dream holiday, make sure that you do a thorough online search to ensure the company is credible.
PAY SAFELY: If you have a credit card, use it when shopping online. Most major credit card providers protect online purchases.
LOOK FOR LOGOS: Check if a travel company is an ABTA, the Travel Association, member or an ATOL holder. Look for the ABTA logo on the company's website. If you have any doubts, you can verify their membership of ABTA online on their website. If you're booking a flight as part of a package holiday and want to find out more information about ATOL protection, visit the ATOL website.
STAY SAFE ONLINE: Use three random words to create a strong email password that's different from all your other passwords. If two-step verification is available, always enable it.
WATCH FOR SUSPICIOUS MESSAGES: Be cautious of unexpected emails or messages offering unrealistic holiday deals. If you receive a suspicious email, report it by forwarding it to: report@phishing.gov.uk
PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION: Only fill in the mandatory details on a website when making a purchase. If possible, don't create an account for the online store when making your payment.
BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE: Be sceptical of unrealistic holiday deals. If they sound too good to be true, they probably are. Exercise caution and research before making a purchase.
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