In a release, the association said it wanted to remind consumers about the “risks of booking their flights and holidays on fake websites.

It comes after Abta said it had seen an increase in the number of customer enquiries reporting fraudulent travel company websites.

The association added that it was “particularly concerned that in the run up to the popular booking season in January, members of the public looking for a bargain may be duped by fraudsters”.
 
“For the small expense of setting up a website, unscrupulous scammers are ripping off members of the public for large sums of money,” it said.
 
Abta has compiled a list of warning signs to look out for, with combination of these signs providing an indication that the website that customers are looking at is not legitimate, it said.

These include:
 
·         Flight or holiday prices that are considerably cheaper than competitors. Flight prices are largely set by the airlines so although agents have some leeway in price, if the agent you’re contacting is charging significantly less than everyone else, this could be a sign that something is not quite right.
·         Low resolution, “fuzzy” logos for trade associations and credit card companies.
·         The only payment option is a bank transfer. Not only is this an indication that no bank is prepared to provide credit card facilities, but if you are dealing with a scammer it will be virtually impossible to get your money back.
·         Non-receipt of tickets – constantly being “fobbed off”.
·         If a company is defrauding people, there is a good chance that consumers will post details of their experiences and warnings about the company. So if for any reason you’re not sure, do a search online before booking.
 
John de Vial, Abta head of financial protection said: “Our consumer helpline has seen an increase in calls from members of the public who are either checking the validity of a suspicious website or, worse, have already paid by bank transfer and then been fobbed off when trying to get hold of their tickets.

“We want to make consumers aware of this problem and stop them from being ripped off in this way.”
 
Members of the public who have been the victims of a travel-related fraud are being urged to register their complaint online to the police at Action Fraud.