Sussex couple plagued by visitors after scammers advertise their home as holiday let

WATCH: Sussex couple tells ITV Meridian how scammers convinced people that their property was a holiday rental

A couple's seaside home in Sussex has been plagued by visitors, convinced they have hired it out for the weekend after scammers advertised it as a holiday rental on Facebook.

Stephanie and Adam Magee, from Winchelsea near Rye, have had to turn away more than 30 families and couples arriving for what was supposed to be a New Year break.

At one point, there were six sets of conned holiday makers queuing on the driveway.

People have travelled from Norfolk, Oxfordshire and Shropshire and say they were drawn in, by what looked like legitimate ways to pay, and a genuine beachside address on the advert.

Scammers had advertised the Magee's home using fake pictures and drew people in with a late deal of £200 because of a false 'late cancellation'.

Stephanie Magee said: "We thought it was just a mistake but then more people started turning up.

"You could see that people were upset, as they'd lost a lot of money and some had driven for miles."

Stephanie and Adam Magee have had to turn away more than 30 families and couples from their home. Credit: ITV Meridian

Among those looking forward to a weekend away were Samantha Anderson and her husband. It was due to be their first trip together without their 4 year-old son.

Samantha said: "I went onto Facebook to message the woman to say, I haven't been able to get the day off and is 8pm too late to check-in?

"I found I'd been blocked, which I thought was weird. I then went onto my emails and it bounced back. That's when I thought I had been scammed."

Another affected was Leanda Parrott, who had organised the mini break as a late christmas present for her family - the first time all six of them were due to go away together.

Leanda said: "I saw the advertisement on Christmas Eve, so it was quite last minute. I had saved all year for Christmas and I had enough in the budget for this little holiday. It was a big deal for the kids."

An example of one of the message exchanges from the scammers falsely advertising the property. Credit: ITV Meridian

Sussex Police have been informed and are encouraging anyone who believes they may have been a victim to contact Action Fraud.

However, the Magee family say it's concerned that the ordeal isn't over, after speaking to someone who had made another booking for February half term.

According to travel expert Simon Calder, the Magee family aren't alone in their worry, and says incidents of online holiday booking scams are on the rise in Britain.

Simon said: "I'm afraid it's increasing right across the travel landscape. Basically, people living in a cost of living crisis want to find the holiday of their dreams, and therefore, that makes them easy prey for people who are prepared to come up with some quite elaborate scams.

"It is very much a question of 'buyer beware'. I completely sympathise with all the people that have been scammed. All you want to do is to pay a reasonable amount for a good holiday.

"Sadly, if you find something on social media and it's not something you have direct knowledge of, it's not recommended by somebody and it looks a pretty good price - at that point I'd be very suspicious."

What is holiday fraud?

Holiday fraud is when people are tricked into paying money for accommodation, travel or an experience that doesn't exist.

How much does holiday fraud cost people in Britain?

According to Action Fraud, holiday fraud cost people in Britain £15 million in the 2022/2023 financial year – with the average loss per victim being £2,372.

What can I do to avoid becoming a victim of a holiday scam?

According to ABTA, you should take the following precautions to protect yourself against scams:

  • Check the website address is legitimate and has not been altered by slight changes to a domain name.

  • Check reviews and do a thorough online search to ensure the company is credible.

  • Avoid clicking on links in unsolicited emails and social media posts.

  • Never pay directly into an private individuals bank account.

  • Double check the receipts, invoices and terms and conditions. Be very wary of any companies that don’t provide any.

  • Be suspicious of any “too good to be true” offers or prices – if being offered at a lower than expected price, ask yourself why.

What should I do if I become aware of a holiday scam?

  • Report it to Action Fraud or via the national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre on 0300 123 2040.

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