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Holiday scams

Planning a holiday? See how to avoid scammers who prey on travellers

WHAT ARE HOLIDAY SCAMS?

Holiday scams involve scammers that trick their targets into paying for visa applications, immigration arrival cards or holiday packages at shockingly cheap prices. Only upon leaving for their trip would victims realise that the flight(s) and hotel accommodation they supposedly paid for were never booked by the fraudster posing as a travel agent.

HOW DO HOLIDAY SCAMS WORK?

Tactics may vary and span all aspects of travel.

The approach:

Common scam tactics to look out for:

HOW TO AVOID BECOMING A VICTIM OF HOLIDAY SCAMS
  • Act quickly
    Do not trust lofty promises that sellers make, deals that seem too good to be true or product listings that contain vague or little to no information about the product.
  • Do your research

    Always buy your air tickets and make hotel bookings via authorised sellers or reputable sources. When in doubt, do your research: Search for the business on a search engine or a social media website to see what others have to say about their experience with them. Ask your family and friends if they have heard of the business.

  • Check against official sources

    Check if a vendor is an accredited travel agent at the Singapore Tourism Board and the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore.

    Go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website to get details of the visa applications to travel out of Singapore; and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority's website for entry requirements into Singapore.

  • Read their T&Cs and policies

    To protect yourself, make sure that the vendor’s website includes comprehensive Terms and Conditions and booking-related policies. Check that they have their company details – including name, address and contact numbers – on their website. Be suspicious of any vendor that uses vague terms or which do not include their details. Avoid offers that require hidden fees or taxes.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE BEEN SCAMMED

Call us

If you believe you have fallen prey to such scams and/or your OCBC account details/funds may be or may have been compromised, please call our Personal Banking hotline at 6363 3333 (or +65 6363 3333 if you are overseas) and press 8 to report fraud or temporarily freeze all your accounts and cards.

Contact the Police and file a report

You can file a police report online or in person at a police station

Find out what information you will need to share if you have fallen prey to a scam.

Contact the platforms involved

Report the scammer to the e-commerce platform, social media website or classified ads website that you purchased the product from and/or where the scammer approached you.

Spread the word

Tell others you know of your experience to help educate and protect them. You can also share your stories on social media or anonymously at www.scamalert.sg.
LEARN ABOUT OTHER SCAMS

E-commerce scams

Learn how to stay safe when shopping online

E-commerce scams

Learn how to stay safe when shopping online

Impersonate scams

Uncover impersonators by understanding their tactics of deceit

Impersonate scams

Uncover impersonators by understanding their tactics of deceit